Aristotle's Four Causes

On page 43 of the book Colin Brown talks about Aristotle's four causes: material, formal, efficient, and final. Brown uses the example of a statue. The material cause is the marble or bronze, etc. The formal cause is the idea or plan of the statue in the mind of the sculptor. The efficient cause is the sculptor. And the final cause is the purpose of the statue, to beautify the city, etc. As Brown points out on page 45, however, Aristotle identifies the Unmoved Mover as the final cause of all things. (This reminds me of the Shorter Westminster Catechism: "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.")



It is interested that the modern world has essentially reduced the four to only 2, and sometimes 1 cause. Only the material and efficient causes are necessary to the modern way of viewing things. People do things with materials, but there is not a 'way things ought to be,' etc. When it comes to things like evolution there is only one cause, because the material and efficient are melded into one cause. The material is the efficient cause in that case. In fact, many Darwinists refuse to accept that the heart as a purpose, or final cause. It just accidentally happens to behave in a way that facilitates the circulation of blood for living people.



Some people think that Aristotle was closer to the Biblical God with his Unmoved Mover than Plato with his Demiurge, and some people the way around. What Brown says about the Unmoved Mover is worthwhile reading. As with Plato, Aristotle didn't know the true God, but his description of the attributes he gives his Unmoved Mover is pretty amazing.