Four Causes of Understanding and Explanation

To fully understand something, one must consider its four causes or explanations: material cause (what it's made of), efficient cause (the maker or process), formal cause (the form or design), and final cause (purpose or function). Without considering all four causes, such as in the example of a pocket calculator, the understanding remains incomplete. For instance, while a material explanation can describe the physical components of the calculator, it fails to account for the non-material understanding of the mathematical system required to comprehend the problem solved. Additionally, theories like neo-Darwinian evolution may provide efficient causes but fall short in explaining the why behind phenomena, highlighting the distinction between a cause and a complete explanation.