Did you ever think Aristotle himself would help you understand your company’s “why?”

I was as surprised as you are. I stumbled across this concept and didn’t just fall face-first, I jumped in with both feet. You’ll see why soon.

In typical ancient philosopher style, Aristotle saw more in an object than just the object itself, which is the basis for this concept of the Four Causes.

How did this concept get a name like Four Causes? Because, according to Aristotle, everything that is has four reasons for being, four causes for its being, four things that, when combined, answer “why” this thing is a thing:

  1. Matter, or the material cause (What material made this thing?)
  2. Form, or the formal cause (What arrangement, shape of form does this thing take?)
  3. Agent, or the cause of movement (Who–or what, outside of the material–made this thing?)
  4. End or Purpose, or the final cause (I love this one: How does the thing doing the thing it does make it a thing?)

As Marty McFly says in “Back to the Future,” whoa, heavy. This will make more sense when we apply a real example to it. Wikipedia (linked earlier, that beacon of academic research) uses a great one: a table.

  1. What is the material cause of a table’s existence? For simplicity’s sake, let’s say it’s wood and screws.
  2. What form or shape does a table take? Again, to keep it simple, it’s got a flat top and four legs.
  3. Who–or what–made it? Who was the agent of change? A carpenter and his/her tools, like a tape measure and power drill.
  4. What is the end purpose of a table? If we’re talking about a dinner table, the end purpose is to be a place to eat.

What I like about the end purpose or final cause is that you can continue to unpack it from there.

Somewhere along the line, a carpenter chose to turn wood into a table, and our society chose to sit at a table to eat. But not just to sit and eat; to sit and eat as a family. As a place for social gathering. Where food and sustenance can be displayed. Where conversations take place. Where games are played. Where children draw and parents pay bills. Where community is fostered and safety is ensured.

Whoa, heavy.

Do you see how a table is more than just a table if you apply the Four Causes? Now, if you’re that carpenter, furniture maker or furniture store, your “what” might be “tables” and your “how” might be “no financing, free delivery,” but your “why” is “creating safe, comfortable places where families can be families.”

How might you apply the Four Causes to kickstart your why?