Aristotle's Metaphysics: Essence and Causality

The Essence of Things

The essence: According to Aristotle, the essence is the knowledge that makes things as they are. We have a body with features, but are essentially equal. The categories are qualities or accidents that pertain to the substance, and which alone cannot exist; they must be linked to other substances.

• Substance-1st: The individual acts as a subject and never as a predicate.
• Substance-2nd: These are the species to which individuals pertain.

Causality Theory

Cause: Production of some effect in compliance with a rule which, according to a particular event, follows any law. Aristotle thought that the phenomena of the physical world came from a cause, but not all came for one reason, and without the need for work, there would be no movement or change without a cause.

The theory of causality and the cause-effect relationship is based on the Aristotelian principle, whereby knowledge is to know the causes of things that happen.

There are four types of causes:

• Material: What something is made of.
• Formal: Form or structure.
• Efficient: The manufacturer or builder.
• Purpose (Final): Purpose for which it was built.

The first two (material and formal causes) are important and basic to the constitution of humans, as determined by the material and formal causes of what something is.

Natural Versus Artificial Beings

Aristotle also makes a distinction between natural and artificial beings. Natural beings have within themselves the principle of generation, change, and movement, while artificial beings do not. Natural beings are those with an end in themselves, while the end of artificial beings is given by man.

They also differ by contrast: Aristotle says that everything living is changing, while everything made by man does not change. Despite this, Aristotle considers change normal, and to stop being that thing, it must cease to be what it was. Change can occur, although Parmenides considered it impossible and inexplicable; Aristotle says that while it is impossible and inexplicable, it happens every day in the world.

Being, Power, and Act

Being is composed of matter and form, while being comprises power (potency) and act. Change is the realization of the power into the act, thus reaching its goal. Aristotle's concept of change is the realization of being in power into being in act, which has much more importance in explaining the causes at that time.