... causes; the material cause, the efficient cause, the formal cause and the final cause. These causes can be defined by a series of questions What is it made of? We gain knowledge of the object from the material cause by knowing what it is made of, we may understand the limits of rubber for example and therefore by knowing that an object is made of rubber we understand something of its properties. In the case of the chair its material cause would be the wood it is made from, the properties of wood which we already understand, it is strong, supple and hard wearing, can be applied to the chair. How was it made? The efficient cause gives us knowledge of an object by knowing how and/or by whom it is made. For example if we have a pair of trousers and we know the pieces of cloth have been glued together ...

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