GENERATION OF ANIMALS 



(4) The Final Cause : the end towards which the process 

 was directed, the perfect and full-grown dog. 

 A similar set of examples could be constructed to suit 

 the case of artificial objects, though some adjustments 

 would have to be made. In both cases the Formal 

 Cause comes from the same source as the Motive Cause, 

 but with a difference : in the case of natural objects, the 

 parent already possesses the Form fully realized in 

 himself ; in the case of artificial objects, the craftsman 

 possesses the Form " in his Soul." Both the parent and 

 the craftsman normally employ " instruments " to deal 

 with the "material" ; these are not mentioned in the 

 table given above, but will be dealt with in Appendix 

 B §§ 9 ff. 



(3) \'ery often the Final and Motive Causes tend naturally , 

 to coalesce with the Formal Cause, in opposition to the 

 Material Cause; and this opposition is found in G.A. 

 {e.g.. Book II, init.), where Aristotle regards the male 

 (which possesses the Form and which supplies the 

 " movement " and therefore acts as a Motive Cause) as 

 superior and more " divine " than the female (which 

 supplies the raw material for the embryo, i.e., supplies 

 the Material Cause). At the same time, we shall find 

 (l^elow, §§ 6, 7) thai the Motive and Material Causes are 

 often together contrasted with the Final Cause, just as 

 Necessity is contrasted with the Good. 



(4) In modern parlance the term Cause has become gener- 

 ally limited to Motive (Efficient) Causes, as is shown by 

 the common phrase " cause and effect " : and hence 

 when Aristotle is concerned especially with the opera- 

 tion of Motive Causes (as e.g. at 734 b 9 ff.) his words 

 have a more modern and familiar ring than when he is 

 speaking of Final Causes. 



(5) For Aristotle himself, however, it is the Final Cause, the " Teleo- 

 End, which is of paramount importance and which 'ogy-" 

 dominates every process. This is abundantly clear in 



the P. A., where Aristotle endeavours throughout to 

 provide a Final Cause which will explain the existence 

 and structure of the various parts : and it is no less 

 clear in the G.A., where the whole process of develop- 

 ment of the embryo from start to finish Is subservient 

 to the Final Cause : the course of the process is deter- 



