Aristotle - Efficient cause

In summary, the efficient cause of an exam is the person who wrote the exam. The final cause is to test your knowledge of the material. The material cause is paper and the ink. The formal cause is the shape of the paper and all the questions that make up the exam.
  • #1
RabbitWho
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http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-causality/#FouCau

I'm confused by this

The efficient cause: “the primary source of the change or rest”, e.g., the artisan, the art of bronze-casting the statue, the man who gives advice, the father of the child.

So.. the efficient cause of an exam is the person who wrote the exam?
The fact that we need to test what people know is the final cause? The material cause is paper? The formal cause is the shape of the paper and all the questions that make up the exam?

The efficient cause of a flower is evolution? Or sunlight? Or...?

The efficient cause of an abstract concept like a triangle? Every person who imagines a triangle? The apparatus in our brain that allow us to conceptualize a triangle? Or do abstract ideas have no efficient causes?

Thanks for your help
 
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  • #2
RabbitWho said:
So.. the efficient cause of an exam is the person who wrote the exam?
Yes. I would agree.

Aristotle's so-called 'efficient cause' is more closely related to what we consider cause-effect relationships today. So the example that the 'father is the efficient cause of the child' might be replaced today by saying that the child was caused by conception.

RabbitWho said:
The fact that we need to test what people know is the final cause?
That seems too general in this case. Perhaps the final cause of the exam is to simply to test your knowledge of the material.

RabbitWho said:
The material cause is paper?
Sure. And the ink.

RabbitWho said:
The formal cause is the shape of the paper and all the questions that make up the exam?
I think that is a reasonable way to say it.

RabbitWho said:
The efficient cause of a flower is evolution? Or sunlight? Or...?
Mmm. I think this is more akin to the efficient cause of a child. Perhaps the pollen and/or the germination of the seed is the efficient cause here.

RabbitWho said:
The efficient cause of an abstract concept like a triangle?
I don't think that each of the four causes apply here but we might need a philosopher to chime in
a) there is no material so there can be no material cause
b) the formal cause could be line segments organized so that they form a triangle (the definition of triangle is the formal cause?)
c) there is no change or lack thereof so I don't think there can be an efficient cause
d) the final cause of an abstract concept is not immediately obvious to me unless it is being used for something.
 
  • #3
Thanks! I think I am getting it
 
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Sorry, we don't allow philosophy.
 

1. What is the concept of efficient cause according to Aristotle?

The concept of efficient cause is one of the four causes proposed by Aristotle to explain the existence and nature of things. It refers to the agent or force that brings about a change or transformation in an object or system. In other words, it is the source of motion or activity that initiates change.

2. How does Aristotle differentiate efficient cause from other types of causes?

Aristotle differentiates efficient cause from other types of causes by emphasizing that it is the active cause responsible for the actualization of potentiality. It is distinct from the material cause (the substance or matter of an object), formal cause (the form or design of an object), and final cause (the purpose or goal of an object).

3. Can you give an example of efficient cause in action?

One example of efficient cause in action is the growth of a plant from a seed. The efficient cause in this case would be the sun, which provides the energy and warmth necessary for the seed to sprout and grow into a plant. Without the sun as the efficient cause, the seed would remain dormant and not reach its full potential.

4. How does efficient cause relate to Aristotle's philosophy of change?

Aristotle's philosophy of change revolves around the idea that everything is in a constant state of change and that there must be a cause or explanation for this change. The efficient cause is the principle that initiates this change, bringing about the transformation from potentiality to actuality.

5. What is the significance of efficient cause in modern science?

In modern science, the concept of efficient cause has been translated into the laws of physics, specifically the laws of motion and energy. These laws explain how objects move and interact with each other, and they can be traced back to Aristotle's concept of efficient cause. Efficient cause is also important in understanding cause and effect relationships in various scientific theories and experiments.

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