Aristotelian Metaphysics
Aristotle saw the world through the eyes of biology. Biology being the study of that which is alive, Aristotle saw ideas as living breathing entities. From the ground up, in the most basic level of existence, Aristotle understood that “objects” came about as a conjunction of a material cause, a formal cause, an efficient cause, and a final cause. Taking an apple, for example, its material cause would be its atoms, becoming molecules and organic matter. Its formal cause would be that of the “fruit”, its logical design. An efficient cause would be that which brings about the object, like carpentry bringing about a chair, or in the case of the fruit, pollination. The final cause is created through its use, a fruits main purpose is the reproduction of the tree. As the fruit has a natural tendency towards the tree, so too does the human being have a natural end to which the ultimate purpose of life is to seek. From this central idea, Aristotle built his conception of aesthetics, sociology, ethics, and political theory.