The 4th Way: Examples
Material cause: stinkiness is caused by the predominance of certain molecules in the air, and it “participates” in maximal stinkiness which is a gas or even a solid packed with stinky molecules.
Formal cause: the bust of Mises is an imperfect version of the real Mises who is the archetype for the bust.
Efficient cause: any machine producing an effect participates in an ideal machine, as described by TRIZ.
Final cause: imperfect human happiness becomes perfect in whatever place in which there are no evils to drag you down.
So, a lot of things seem amenable to this treatment of finding perfect models for imperfect partakers in those models. Surely, “being, goodness, and every other perfection” are, too. Of course, that we can conceive of such a thing does not necessarily mean that it exists. But if, as per the 2nd way, all perfections, including existence, are caused in things, the cause must exist and be perfect simply. Therefore, there must exist a paragon of perfection of those things. And that’s God.
Posted: March 25th, 2009 under Metaphysics, Philosophy.