What role did the material cause play in Aristotle’s explanations?

In Aristotelianism, the material cause serves as one of the four fundamental types of explanation for why a thing is or comes to be. It is defined as that out of which a thing is made or comes into being. For example, in the case of a statue, the bronze serves as the material cause.12

Aristotle integrated this concept into his broader metaphysical doctrine of hylomorphism, which posits that natural bodies are composed of two intrinsic principles: matter (the potential, passive, and indeterminate principle) and form (the actual, active, and determining principle). While the material cause identifies the physical constituents of an object, Aristotle emphasized that matter and form are not independent physical entities but are metaphysical principles that exist only within the composite. By distinguishing these causes, Aristotle sought to explain the process of "becoming" or substantial change, ensuring that a permanent, common element exists throughout a transformation.3