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Final Cause - Also considered the "Telos" or purpose of the thing. Refers to the end that the object is designed for.
Efficient/Moving Cause - Refers to things that are apart from the object of the subject that may influence movement or change.
Aristotle developed this theory in an attempt to explain change in matter and life in the universe. Identifying that all things have a purpose or "telos" that is the "end" of their exsistence. He established that their are four causal explanations that explain what causes matter and life to undergo change and also to explain why these undergo the changes that they do.
Formal Cause - Refers to the appearance or structure of the object that may affect movement or change. It is this arrangement that gives the overall structure its specific properties.
Material Cause - Refers to the material that something is made out of and it's physical structure's impact on change.
Today many philosophers reject Aristotle's idea of telos and only one of his causal explanations for change has survived to be part of modern science's explanation.
The efficiency/moving clause is the only type of clause still used in modern science.
Aristotle compares changes and function to art in an attempt to explain the purpose of what is changing.
For a thing to have final cause or telos, it must be capable of reaching this state naturally or under normal circumstances.
Aristotle believes that everything has a potential and a single purpose. There is only one use for an item. This function dictates the what the item will develop into.
Matter is a key principle in this theory as it is the foundation that does not truly change although it is represented by many different forms.