As Aristotle says, they failed to distinguish between the material cause and the efficient cause.

正如亚里士多德说，他们未能区分材料的事业和高效率的事业。

youdao

He holds that there are four different causes-material cause, motivation cause, form cause and objective cause.

他认为，有四个不同的原因，即质料因、动力因、形式因和目的因。

youdao

Of things: The material cause or instrumentality whereby effects are produced; but implying a rational employer or contriver.

指物：借以产生效果的质料因或物质手段；但暗示着理性的使用者或发明者。

youdao

And we want to get the world's attention focused where we think it needs to be, with these continuing efforts by al Qaida and others to get just enough nuclear material to cause terrible havoc, destruction and loss of life."

VOA: standard.2010.04.11

Whenever there is a force, it can be traced back to a tangible material cause, which is all the time a force of contact, with the exception of gravity.

如果有作用力,那它一定能找到一个明确的实体施力物体,也就是无论何时物体受的都是接触力,引力除外

耶鲁公开课 - 基础物理课程节选

Counsel for the police argued that while the material may cause her professional concern it would be of "evidential value" to the police investigation.

BBC: Real IRA are 'republican Taliban'

So what we want to do is fine-tune that special characteristic of the light so it shines back and it doesn't absorb into the material and cause damage.

NPR: Using Science to Rescue Art

She added that powers would not be limited to national security matters - the green paper says the procedure could be triggered by the secretary of state deciding "that certain relevant sensitive material would cause damage to the public interest if openly disclosed".

BBC: UK Politics