Aristotle's Physics is a brilliant collection of concepts dealing with natural .
It explains that there are certain "principles of nature". With this, Aristotle also .
gives in-depth definitions and explanations of what a natural object is and how it changes. .
Aristotle classifies a natural object as an object that has a principle of change .
within itself. A natural change is the process a natural object goes through to achieve its .
internal purpose. An example of a natural object is a bird. Like all natural objects, a bird .
continuously changes until it reaches its goal, or internal purpose. In this case, it's internal .
purpose is to grow old and die. .
The consumption and digestion of food is an example of a natural change that a .
bird goes through during its quest to fulfill its internal purpose . This is a natural change .
because it allows the bird to continue its process of change. When a bird eats, it begins .
the process. The food is digested and will give the bird essential nutrients that it needs to .
grow. .
Aristotle states that there are four causes that explain what a natural object is, how .
it is possible for it to fulfill its internal purpose, and how it maintains its identity .
throughout the continuous change. These causes are the material cause, formal cause, .
efficiency cause, and the final cause. .
The first cause is the material cause. This cause explains that matter is made out .
of the same matter that it came from. For example, when a bird is born it will always have .
the same physical characteristics as the birds that reproduced it. It is incapable of being .
born with characteristics that aren't the characteristics of the parents. .
The second cause is the formal cause. This explains that the species, type, or kind .
of natural object determines what the object is and the pattern it evolves through. This .
cause can be clarified by describing a bird as a certain type of animal. Because of its .