The Four Causes

The Four Causes, introduced by Aristotle, explain why things exist or happen. 1. **Material Cause**: What something is made of (e.g., wood of a chair). 2. **Formal Cause**: The design or blueprint of something (e.g., the shape of the chair). 3. **Efficient Cause**: The process or agent that brings something into existence (e.g., the carpenter who builds the chair). 4. **Final Cause**: The purpose or function of something (e.g., to provide a place to sit). These causes help us understand not just the existence of objects, but also their nature and purpose.