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Aristotle's Four Causes (Philosophy)

Hi everyone, I'm preparing for a philosophy test and would like to know if anyone knows any strengths and weaknesses of Aristotle's Four Causes?

Thanks :smile:
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Joe312
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Strengths

Empirical – Aristotle used scientific method and based his theories on logic and a posteriori (sensory) knowledge. This is stronger than Plato’s basis because it can be measured and tested now.

Weaknesses

Aristotle bases his theory around the idea of telos and that everything has a purpose, but this may not be true or just an error of human understanding. Arguably humans have a psychological bias to see things purposefully. But does purpose actually exist in reality, or just or minds?

Based on sense experience, but this is unreliable because we know sense experience can be different amongst people, or not always true (e.g. hallucinations).

Sartre criticised Aristotle’s assumption that the universe had any intrinsic meaning or purpose. If there was no purpose for the universe, then there is no final cause for the universe.

Aristotle’s theory of motion has been proven to be completely flawed by Newton’s theory of motion. This undermines his ideas of actuality and potentiality.

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