Causa finalis

Causa finalis is the Latin term for the Aristotelian final cause (also target cause or purpose cause ). In the case of a final cause, the cause of an event is interpreted as a planned purpose .

Instead of interpreting an event according to the effective cause, one proceeds teleologically . The causes of situations are determined from their goal or benefit. In the case of an action, however, the final cause is the reason why the action was performed.

Aristotle distinguished between causa efficiens and causa finalis in order to distinguish causal natural processes and practically justifiable actions.

In the event of an incident ( Wilhelm Kamlah ), d. H. an event that cannot be influenced, the search for a final cause fails. If one also interprets such natural occurrences, which are unavailable to humans, on the basis of final causes, a divine plan of salvation is usually assumed theologically . The history of salvation then finds its goal in an eschatology .

According to Aristotle, there are four causes in total . The three other (additional) causes are:

• causa materialis (cause of matter)
• causa formalis ( formal cause)
• causa efficiens (effective cause)