喺亞裏士多德嘅著作形而上學（Metaphysics）入面，一開始就解釋咗四因說，呢本書係探討個人經驗之上嘅事物原理（principle）同原因（cause），並認為呢啲知識先係智慧（ wisdom），因為呢啲知識比感官經驗更加難得，佢哋可以解釋宇宙萬物，而唔單止係單一嘅個體。（第一冊，第三章）然後，佢說明咗原因嘅四種涵義，並根據呢樣嘢去解釋或者批評以前哲學所論述嘅原因，提到嘅先哲包括蘇格拉底、阿那克西美尼、錫諾普的第歐根尼、希帕索斯、赫拉克利特、恩培多克勒、阿那克薩哥拉、巴門尼德、克拉佐門尼的赫爾摩底謨（英語： ） 、畢達哥拉斯學派、麥裡梭、色諾芬尼、以及佢嘅老師柏拉圖，喺呢度（第一冊，第六章），佢根據自己嘅四因說批評柏拉圖嘅理型論，正式同佢老師嘅學說分開。
In Aristotle's book Metaphysics, the theory of the four causes is explained at the outset, and the book deals with the principles and causes of things above personal experience, and considers this knowledge to be wisdom, because this knowledge is more rare than sensory experience, and they can explain everything in the universe, not just a single individual. (Book I, Chapter 3) He then explains the four meanings of the causes, and explains or criticizes the causes discussed in previous philosophies in the light of such things, including Socrates, Anaximenes, Diogenes of Sinop, Hippasos, Heraclitus, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Parmenides, Hermodians of Clazomene, the Pythagoreans, Merisot, Xenophane, and his teacher Plato, here (Book I, ch. 6), who criticizes Plato's theory of reason according to his theory of the four causes, formally separate from the doctrine of his teacher.