A close textual analysis of Aristotle BOOK 2 chapter 3 Essay

A close textual analysis of Aristotle BOOK 2 chapter 3 - Essay Example The formal cause is â€Å"the account of what the being would be†, its genera and its parts, e.g. number and ration of two to one are causes of an octave. The efficient cause, â€Å"the primary source of the change or staying unchanged†, is â€Å"that which makes something of that which is made† and â€Å"changes something of that which is changed†, e.g. the sculptor, parents, etc. At last the final cause is the end of a thing, i.e. â€Å"what something is for†, e.g. health is the final cause of walking and purging, drugs and surgical instruments (pp.28-29; 194 b 20 – 35). Here it is necessary to dwell upon the nature of causes. Aristotle himself notes that â€Å"many different things are called† and â€Å"can be causes† of the same thing, as well as the same thing can be a cause for many phenomena. First of all, as we try to understand the notion of â€Å"cause† in terms of cause-and-effect position, it becomes wholly unclear how bronze may cause a statue, or whether a table can be caused by wood it is made of. Then as we remember that we read Aristotle in translation from Greek, you realize that the word could perhaps be interpreted by the means of other words. Indeed, the Greek aition has transformed into the present Italian aita (assistant), aiutare (to assist). Thus we understand the cause as something assisting, making another thing. In this case we may say that material assists the emergence of a form, i.e. a form is made out of the material and is impossible without it. The form assists things in fulfilling their functions. It would be difficult to use a shaky table with a vertical top. A carpenter assists the emergence of the table. Due to carpenter’s knowledge and skills of how to make tables this emergence is possible. Finally, it is the functions or purpose of the table which assist in the emergence of this piece of furniture being produced of definite firm materials and of definite form. Such a