ultimate cause
First causal factor
Ultimate cause is the fundamental or final reason something exists or happens, as distinguished from immediate or proximate causes.
In philosophy and theology, ultimate cause often refers to a first cause or prime mover—the origin that set everything else in motion.
In biology, ultimate causes explain why a trait evolved (its adaptive function), while proximate causes explain how it works mechanically: The proximate cause of birdsong is neural activity; the ultimate cause is mate attraction.
- creationismDivine origin doctrine
- cosmic orderUniverse's fundamental organizing principle
- first principlesBasic truths underlying reasoning
- ontologyStudy of existence's nature
- purposeReason something exists
grand design · master plan · divine will · theism · metaphysics · mechanism · unmoved mover · teleology · cosmology · eschatology · contingency · evolution · determinism · providence · intelligent design · natural selection · emergence · transcendence
ultimate causedirect cause
Immediate source of outcome
triggering event · spark · catalyst · inciting incident · last straw
ultimate, ultimately, ultimatum, ultimatums, cause, causes, caused, causing, causal