Ontological and Epistemological Aspects of Causality from Aristotle’s and Avicenna’s Perspectives

In dealing with the system of thought of Aristotle and Avicenna who are considered the peripatetic philosophers, the following questions are raised: What is the role of causation in the formation of their thought and opinions? Is it possible to come to a rational explanation of creation, change, movement and knowledge without recourse to causation? Studying the works of Aristotle and Avicenna, one can well understand that the causation has an important role in the creation of things and their understanding. In the other words, the causes have a major ontological and epistemological position. Aristotle's four causes are necessary for the existence and its explanation. It is rather a connecting element between all creatures and their Creator and the element which is a necessary conjunct of the ordered universe. So causation is an element which goes beyond movement. It has not only changed the agent cause from potentiality to actuality it but has also a major role in knowing things through definition and argument. These two peripatetic philosophers, in spite of their agreement on the importance of causation in creation and  understanding of the world phenomena, differ in some of the details of the issue.