final cause
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈfaɪnəl kɔz/
- Formal
:
causa final
- Aristotle adds that in natural things this process includes the final cause, which is that "for the sake of which" the thing is moved.
- account of final causes
- critique of final causes
- argument over the final cause
And Aristotle thinks that there are many things that are not man made or fabricated, but are natural, and those have final causes as well.
- And Aristotle thinks that there are many things that are not man made or fabricated, but are natural, and those have final causes as well.
- Philosophy for real ends, for final causes, as Aristotle would have put it, for something lying ahead, and not as an idle pastime, as an end in itself.
Examples
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Spinoza's argument presupposes that the final cause is the ultimate external end that the thing is supposed to achieve.
Academic text (2016) -
Human agency is a case of teleology, a final cause in Aristotle's sense.
Blog text (25) -
Notice that something can have a a major final cause, and you can give it other final causes.
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Nor does it consider final causes and "levels of reality" as such.
Academic text (1991) -
My aim is to show that they successfully target an account of final causes closer to that presented by Heereboord rather than by Aristotle.
Academic text (2016) -
In this passage, Aristotle expressly identifies the nature of a thing with the end or the final cause of its existence and functioning.
Academic text (2016) -
Leibniz is explicit that in creating this universe, God acts from final causes; creation is directed by the purpose of maximizing perfection.
Academic text (1998) -
Aristotle believed that understanding the final cause of a thing helps us grasp its true purpose.
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In philosophy, the final cause refers to the ultimate goal that something is meant to achieve.
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When discussing the final cause, we explore the reasons behind why an action is performed.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A cause or explanation for something that happened
808
1.0
The aim of a plan or action
2
6.8
The most important goal or purpose of something
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'final' (last/ultimate) and 'cause' (reason), so a learner who knows the words can infer an "ultimate reason" or purpose. However, the term carries a specialized Aristotelian/teleological meaning (purpose or end) and the mapping from 'final' to 'end/purpose' rather than merely 'last' may not be fully predictable for a B1 learner, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
Final cause comes from the ancient Greek thinker Aristotle, who used final to mean the 'end' and cause to mean the reason something exists or is done. So, it means the 'purpose' or 'goal' of a thing.