Final answer:
Aristotle's four causes—Material, formal, final, and efficient—form the basis of his philosophical system used to explain both the physical world and abstract concepts like ethics and metaphysics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Aristotle's four causes are essential for understanding his approach to the natural world and his philosophical system. The correct answer to what the four causes are and how he applied them is: Material, formal, final, and efficient; applied in his scientific investigations, which encompasses his ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology.
- Material cause refers to what a thing is made of. For example, in the case of a sculpture, the marble it is made from would be its material cause.
- Formal cause is the shape or the essence of a thing, analogous to the idea a sculptor has in mind before creating his work.
- Efficient cause is the agent or the means by which something comes into being, such as the sculptor's skill and action.
- Final cause is the end goal or purpose of a thing, which in the case of the sculpture is the reason it was created.
Aristotle used these four causes to explain not just physical objects but also to explore concepts such as substance, ethics, and the nature of the soul. In his ethics, he discussed human purpose and how to achieve eudaimonia (flourishing or happiness), through virtuous living. In metaphysics, he culminated to the First Cause or the unmoved mover.