Four causes
Four causes is the idea that everything has a cause. It means that things don't just happen without a reason. According to four causes, when something happens, there are four things that could have caused it:
1. Material Cause - This is the stuff that something is made of like the ingredients in a cake or the pieces of wood used to make a table.
2. Formal Cause - This is what something looks like, or the shape it takes, like a square table or a round cupcake.
3. Efficient Cause - This is what makes something start or change like pushing a swing or stirring a cake.
4. Final Cause - This is the purpose of something, like a table to put things on or a cake for a birthday.
So, if something happens, four causes would mean that you would look for the material (the ingredients or parts involved), the formal (the shape or look), the efficient (the start or change), and the final (the purpose) causes.
1. Material Cause - This is the stuff that something is made of like the ingredients in a cake or the pieces of wood used to make a table.
2. Formal Cause - This is what something looks like, or the shape it takes, like a square table or a round cupcake.
3. Efficient Cause - This is what makes something start or change like pushing a swing or stirring a cake.
4. Final Cause - This is the purpose of something, like a table to put things on or a cake for a birthday.
So, if something happens, four causes would mean that you would look for the material (the ingredients or parts involved), the formal (the shape or look), the efficient (the start or change), and the final (the purpose) causes.
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