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When one inquires into the cause of something, one should, since
'causes' are spoken of in several senses, state all the possible
causes. what is the material cause of man? Shall we say 'the menstrual
fluid'? What is moving cause? Shall we say 'the seed'? The formal
cause? His essence. The final cause? His end. But perhaps the latter
two are the same.-It is the proximate causes we must state. What is
the material cause? We must name not fire or earth, but the matter
peculiar to the thing.
Regarding the substances that are natural and generable, if the
causes are really these and of this number and we have to learn the
causes, we must inquire thus, if we are to inquire rightly. But in the
case of natural but eternal substances another account must be
given. For perhaps some have no matter, or not matter of this sort but
only such as can be moved in respect of place. Nor does matter
belong to those things which exist by nature but are not substances;
their substratum is the substance. E.g what is the cause of eclipse?
What is its matter? There is none; the moon is that which suffers
eclipse. What is the moving cause which extinguished the light? The
earth. The final cause perhaps does not exist. The formal principle is
the definitory formula, but this is obscure if it does not include the
cause. E.g. what is eclipse? Deprivation of light. But if we add 'by
the earth's coming in between', this is the formula which includes the
cause
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