How Platonic forms in the Pheado influenced Aristotelian ...



Bethany Stevens

11-17-03

Paper Topic VI

Ancient Philosophy PHH3100

Word count- 1026

Platonic Influence on Aristotle’s Four Causes

Aristotle’s theory of the Four Causes (aitia) explained in Physics and De anima can be seen as directly influenced by his philosophical predecessor and teacher, Plato, in Phaedo. While Aristotle wrote in reaction and critique of the earlier philosopher’s work, his use of a teleological theory was first seen in the work of Plato. In Physics, Aristotle does not explicitly explain how the causes are related to teleology but one can infer it from the explanation of the Four Causes. Aristotle delineates how an object comes to exist and through this explanation a purpose or end is explained implicitly in Physics and explicitly in De anima. For the object to come to exist, it must serve a purpose otherwise its creator would have never bothered to give it life or create it. The purpose of an object could be as simple as being an object that serves a utilitarian value to the creator and as complex the intrinsic drive in the actions and behavior of humanity toward the greater good or divine in all that they do

Aristotle explains that for every action, event, or object there are Four Causes which explain its coming to existence. The first of the four causes is called the material cause, this cause is as basic as its name, as it is what an object is made of or “that out of which a thing comes to be and which persists” (194b24). For example, a chair’s material cause is the wood that is used to construct it. The second cause is called the formal cause, which is the actual shape or arrangement of an object and a “definition of the essence, and its genera” (194b27). An example of a formal cause of an object would be the actual shape and structure of the chair itself, with four legs that reach the ground, a seat to sit on and a back to lean against while sitting. The third cause is known as the efficient cause, and it is referred to as the primary mover or source of change within an object. Aristotle expounds on this cause in the Metaphysics. An example of an efficient cause is the carpenter who built the chair. It is the carpenter who gave birth to the idea of construction and actually put it into action to create the object, without the carpenter or the efficient cause the chair would not exist. The fourth cause is called the final cause. The name is appropriate for its action as it refers to the “end or that for the sake of which a thing is done” (194b33). An example of this cause can be seen as the purpose of the chair as being a reflection of the desire to have a chair that is made of wood to sit on or sell by the carpenter who created the chair.

The fourth or final cause in Aristotelian philosophy is where the tie with Platonic thought explained in Phaedo can be seen. The Phaedo was written as a supposed intellectual autobiography of Socrates as he sat in prison just a brief period of time before his death. In the Phaedo Plato delineates the supposed ideals that Socrates (although they may have not been a reflection of Socratic ideals, but rather an explanation of Plato’s own ideals) held concerning the reason for the existence of things, or the “why” behind any given instance, event, or object. In the excerpt presented in our book, a teleological principle is presented, in which the end of any given thing is a direct reflection of what is best for that thing. Plato’s focusing on the end has significance for the meaning of the object, as he suggests the end is an act or object that has taken into account what would be thought of as best for that object. Plato uses the example of the heavens, as they move in a manner best suited for their composition and velocity (98d3-6). Plato explained that the drive toward what is best is found within nature without the necessity of a cognitive being behind the creation or existence of an object or event. As Plato explained the desired good or best is an end that an object truly and intrinsically seeks to manifest. Plato explained that while there are seemingly many causes to various acts or objects, the search for what is best is the main drive of an object or being. For example when one decides to attend a university, the person may desire to get out of their parent’s home, learn about any given subject, explore their own psyche and soul through social growth independent of parental control, and desire to have a lot of adult fun, but for Plato the real reason would be to focus on the desire to reach the best within themselves. The best that one could garner from attending a university could be that it would equip them with the tools necessary to be a viable voice to add to a social movement or the person’s own social and intellectual amelioration. The choices one makes that lead them to the university reflect their desire to reach the good, and it is through these choices that the understanding of the necessary pursuit of the best can be understood.

For Aristotle the end or final cause has to do with the desire to intermingle or at least attempt to reach a sense of cohesion with the divine or ultimate mover. In De Anima II Aristotle wrote that “to share as far as it can in the everlasting and divine. For this is the end they all strive for. . .” (415a29). The divine can be seen as intellectually parallel to the good that Plato explained. The search or desire to reach some sort of divine being would lead one on the path of the attainment of good or what would be best for that person or object’s existence. Both Aristotle and Plato focused on the teleological theory behind aitia which is in search of the good and divine.

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