Final answer:
Aristotle posited that all physical beings are made up of two metaphysical components: matter and form. These concepts are essential to his philosophical theory, which discusses the material cause and the formal cause as part of his doctrine on the four causes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Aristotle believed that all physical beings possess two metaphysical components: matter and form. This dual aspect is paramount to understanding Aristotle's specific objection to the Platonic theory of forms and to his development of the concept known as hylomorphism. Matter, to Aristotle, is the substance that makes up the physical aspect of a being, whereas form is the essence, the defining characteristic or blueprint that gives a being its identity and purpose.
Form, as Aristotle posits, is akin to an idea a sculptor has in mind, representing the unchanging nature of a particular entity, which he refers to as the formal cause. The material from which the entity is made, like the marble for the sculptor, is considered the material cause. Aristotle's exploration goes further into the efficient cause, which is the agent that causes the being to exist in its particular form, and the final cause, which is the ultimate purpose or end goal of that being's existence.