Aristotle was known as the father of Western causal theory. “To know a thing is to know its causes,” is a phrase he was known for. He came up with a way to explain causation called the fourfold theory of cause. This theory included formal cause, material cause, efficient cause, and final cause. There were many philosophers who agreed with Aristotle's version of modern causality, but there was one in particular who argued that the fourfold theory of cause was unnecessary. Thus modern causality was born. The first form of Aristotelian causality is the formal cause; this cause focuses on the present. This form implies the essence, form and nature of things. It plays on the pure form of objects, then gets more specific with gender, and then even more specific with the species of said object. There are tons of examples of formal causation: Dwayne Wade plays basketball for the Heat, his number is 3, this counts as formal causation. Another is the common reference to television, a television is not simply a large glass box but the combination of glass, metal and nuts and bolts that allows it to work. The reference to the house is also very common; for a house to exist, it must have a brick, concrete, or wood foundation so that it is safe to live in. The next form of causation is material cause; this cause also focuses on the present. Material cause is based on Aristotle's matter and the principle of individuation. This cause is synonymous with what appears literally from a substantial point of view. For example, Vogue magazine is literally made up of photos, paper, and ink. When you see the average television, it is made up of plastic, glass, and/or metallic substances. The house where someone might live... middle of paper... the modern causes are quite clear. William of Ockham agreed with only one of Aristotle's theories of causation, but argued that the other three were invalid due to the lack of human experience within each theory. Aristotle's fourfold theory of causation consisted of four main causes: formal cause, material cause, efficient cause, and final cause. All Aristotelian causes focused on a certain period of time: past, present or future, which affected the interpretation of each theory itself. The formal cause and the material cause are focused on the past, the efficient cause is focused on the present time; while, finally, the final cause is focused on the future. The efficient cause was considered the most important of the four by William of Ockham. These are the differences between Aristotle's fourfold theory of causation and modern causation in general.