Which of Aristotle's four causes are you asking about? If you're asking about the efficient cause, then that's a physics question, I suppose, and you can assume natural, unguided forces are sufficient. If you're asking about final cause, that's going to have to assume a creator or at least some extrinsic purpose to the universe. An atheist isn't likely to grant that as a necessary or even justifiable assumption.
Since I love examples, let's try this one. You can answer the question "Why does it rain?" by referring to the efficient cause: the precipitation cycle. But if you want to go for the final cause, you'd have to come up with something like: "Because God wants the plants to grow."
At least that's the way I see it.
For
reference:
quote:
There are four such causes: the form of the object (which will be altered during a change), the matter underlying the object (which will usually not be altered during a change), the agency that brings about the change, and the purpose served by the change. These are called, respectively, the formal cause, the material cause, the efficient cause, and the final cause.
Your beliefs do not effect reality and evidently reality does not effect your beliefs.
-Theodoric
Reality has a well-known liberal bias.
-Steven Colbert
I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny it.
- John Stuart Mill
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