Aristotle distinguished four forms of causation. Applying these to explaining why a given animal is what it is (e.g., a cat as opposed to a dog), the soul fulfills all of the 4 causes EXCEPT:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The material cause refers to the physical matter or substance from which something is made, while the soul represents the immaterial essence or animating principle of the living being. Therefore, the soul does not fulfill the material cause.

Aristotle Distinguished Four Forms of Causation