Controversial Cause in Science-The Final Cause

"We do not have knowledge of a thing until we have grasped its why, that is to say, its cause." Aristotle was a philosopher who desired to know the causes of all things. He thus created the Four Causes principle to explain the change or movement seen through objects, nature, humans and their thoughts. One of the Four Causes was titled, The Final Cause. Aristotle looked upon the Final Cause as the most important causal relationship within nature, but it is also only possible through chance events. 

Final Cause is defined as the purpose of something. Example of question: "What is the purpose that a spider brings upon the intricate web it creates?" This is a very controversial cause, as many people would probably disagree that nature has a goal, or an aim in its natural forces. Yet others, would agree (as seen by the symbolization of the term for the Earth, "Mother Earth," or various other teachings in religions). The Final Cause is also known as a part of the study of Teleology, or the belief that nature must have separate goals than those of  people. Yet it is unclear of whether Aristotle only, strongly believed in teleology, or that he also believed that anything has a purpose, even without "deliberation, consciousness or intelligence." If this goal or purpose is reached in the end is another story. For example, Aristotle would point out that the purpose of a small seed is to grow into an adult plant. But if certain events change, or alter this process (or purpose), then the Final Cause was not entirely met. 

Although the principle of the Final Cause is debated, it becomes an important topic in modern science, especially in evolutionary biology because of the concept of adaptation in nature. Darwin himself had noted teleology in respect to the Final Cause several times within his Species Notebook, Origins of Species. Many other scientists argue that the concept of teleology seems to come up a lot in evolution because it is some sort of "shorthand" in explaining a longer process, brought about by the chance transformations of nature, thus resulting in adaptations of species retained by natural selection. Yet 2 characteristics are still brought up in this explanation as well as teleology-Chance events and nature. Nonetheless, the Final Cause is one cause which has survived in discussion throughout time. 

The image below illustrates the seed to an adult plant concept (marble to statue). Yet it should also be remembered that although the Final Cause emphasizes the final product, it also remarks on the beginning of the process (the goal of the process-shown by the outlined man within the marble), before all of the other 3 causes Aristotle believed in (Efficient, Formal and Material Causes). 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_causes

http://business.nmsu.edu/~dboje/448/448template.htm