material cause

nounAristotelianism.

Origin of material cause

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

So far as we can see, the material cause was exactly the same in each case—the reading of certain letters.
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society | Upton Sinclair
The epidemic recorded by Knighton had probably a more material cause.
A History of Epidemics in Britain (Volume I of II) | Charles Creighton
The rhythm, regarded in its material cause, need not be accompanied by any very musical sound.
Myth and Science | Tito Vignoli
For example, in the making of a bronze statue of Hermes, the bronze is the material cause of the statue.
A Critical History of Greek Philosophy | W. T. Stace
But the point is that they all recognized the necessity for a material cause of some sort to explain the universe.
A Critical History of Greek Philosophy | W. T. Stace

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