Apr 20, 2009 15:01
The Four Horsemen of the Causocalypse
To clarify finality: Here is an example I ran across some time ago that may clarify the distinction of the four causes. It may be helpful to replace the tainted term "cause" (which to modern ears always has an echo: "[efficient] cause") with the original Greek "aition," or with the term "because."
The Four Causes of Biological Evolution
1. Material Cause:
The genetic factor: the tendency to variation resulting from constant small random mutations in the genetic code; i. e., a variety of differing individuals within a species capable of transmitting their differences
2. Formal Cause:
The epigenetic factor: the tendency of interbreeding population to reproduce itself in a stable manner and increase in numbers; i. e., the maintenance of type
3. Efficient Cause (Agent):
The selective factor: natural selection by the environment which eliminates those variants which are less effective in reproducing their kind; i. e., the agent determining in which direction species-change will take place
4. Final Cause (End):
The exploitative factor: the flexibility of living things by which they are able to occupy new niches in the changing environment; i. e., a feed-back mechanism which guides the selective process toward a new type which can exploit new environmental possibilities
Notice the distinction between evolution (a principle inherent in the nature of the thing itself) and [natural] selection (a force external to the thing.
aristotelianism,
evolution