Aristotle (384-322 BC) is not only the three most influential philosophers in history, but the creator of brand-new mentality. The other two key philosophers, Plato and Kant, cannot claim the same honour. Through keen observation and logic, Aristotle arrived at the conclusion that everything in the natural world has a purpose and a cause. When I say “everything,” I really mean everything tangible or intangible, whether in the past, in the present or in the future. What is Aristotle’s theory of causality? It’s widely known as “the theory of the four causes” because that’s the name that monks gave it in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Aristotle named the four causes as follows: the material cause, the formal cause, the efficient cause, and the final cause. The latter is particularly interesting because it links the events of the world to human motivation. First, the material cause is the substance or ingredients of which something is made. One could say that the material cause is answering the question, “What is this thing made of?” For instance, in the case of a car body, the material cause is steel. In the case of a basketball, the material cause is rubber. Second, the formal cause represents the shape of a the thing in question. It provides an answer to the question, “What is the shape of this thing? For instance, in the case of a bicycle, the formal cause must necessarily include at least two wheels. In the case of a pen, the formal cause is an elongated thin shape. Third, the efficient cause. Aristotle defined it as the force responsible for making an event happen. The efficient cause is answering the questions, “What is causing the movement? What is making this thing happen?” In the case of the car, the efficient cause is a car manufacturer. In the case of a bicycle, it is the bicycle manufacturer, and so on. Fourth, the final cause, which constitutes the most crucial element in Aristotle’s philosophy. The final cause explains the purpose of an action or an event. In Greek, the term purpose is expressed as “telos.” This is why philosophers call the study of Aristotle’s final cause as “teleology,” which means “the study of purpose.” The final cause is answering questions such as, “What is the goal of this action? What is the point? What is the intended purpose?” In the case of a car purchase, the buyer’s final cause is mobility. In the case of a pen purchase, the final cause is to write, and so on. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/aristotles-theory-of-causality/