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Full Idea
In the schools the four causes are lumped together as material, formal, efficient, and final causes, but they have no clear definitions, and I would call such a judgment 'obscure'.
Gist of Idea
In the schools the Four Causes are just lumped together in a very obscure way
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (Reflections on Knowledge, Truth and Ideas [1684], p.283)
Book Ref
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'Leibniz Selections', ed/tr. Wiener,Philip P. [Scribners 1951], p.283
A Reaction
He picks this to illustrate what he means by 'obscure', so he must feel strongly about it. Elsewhere Leibniz embraces efficient and final causes, but says little of the other two. This immediately become clearer as the Four Modes of Explanation.
| 19424 | Knowledge needs clarity, distinctness, and adequacy, and it should be intuitive [Leibniz] |
| 19425 | In the schools the Four Causes are just lumped together in a very obscure way [Leibniz] |
| 19426 | 'Nominal' definitions just list distinguishing characteristics [Leibniz] |
| 19427 | True ideas represent what is possible; false ideas represent contradictions [Leibniz] |