Aristotle’s Prime Mover

Question 1

What two main questions did Aristotle ask about the universe

Answer 1

• What is the purpose of the universe as a whole?

- What causes objects in the universe to actualise their potential?

Question 2

What did Aristotle decide from these questions

Answer 2

Aristotle concluded there is some kind of efficient cause for the universe -someone or something performing some kind of action which causes all the change and motion in the universe

Question 3

What type of view did Aristotle have about the universe

Answer 3

Aristotle had a geocentric view of the universe -As a series of concentric circles , with planets and sun rotating around the earth in perfect, circular orbits in forty rings

He believed that the first ring of starts was moved by the second ring, the second ring was moved by the third ring and so on until the fourtieth of ring

Question 4

What moves the fourtieth ring of stars

Answer 4

Aristotle’s answer was that the fourtieth ring of stars was caused to move by a being whom he called the prime mover or God.

Question 5

What is the role of the prime mover

Answer 5

• The prime mover is the final cause of the universe , the reason for all movement and change
• The ultimate purpose or goal for everything in the universe is the desire for God or the prime mover
• All things and people seek Gods ( prime movers) perfection -To be the best version of themselves

Question 6

What is Aristotle’s prime movers relation with the universe

Answer 6

-Aristotle’s prime mover is transcendent and does not act in the universe in any way. He did not create the universe, does not sustain it and is not remotely interested in it

Question 7

How does Aristotle prime mover bring about movement and change in the universe

Answer 7

Aristotles prime mover does not bring about movement and change in the universe in a physical way.He brings it about by attracting everything towards his perfection -towards his actuality. God exercises a pull on things.

Question 8

What happens to God when he attracts everything towards his perfection

Answer 8

God himself is not affected when he attracts everything towards his perfection. God happens to attract by his perfection, but there is no consciousness in this attraction.

Question 9

What does Aristotle say about contingency and the universe

Answer 9

Aristotle says that everything in the universe comes in and out of existence e.g even stars cease to exist after billions of years.

-Furthermore, everything in the universe is dependent upon other things for its existence e.h humans are dependent on food and water. This state of being is known as contingency

Question 10

What does Aristotle say about the relationship between God and contingency

Answer 10

• Aristotle says his God is not contingent as if he were he would be capable of change ( e,g he could die if he relied on sunlight for his existence and the sun fizzled )
• Therefore God must exist necessarily. God does not have an efficient cause - nothing has caused God and nothing hads caused the universe

Question 11

What does Aristotle say about the relationship between God and potential

Answer 11

• Something can only have potential if the potential has the possibility of being actualised
• Aristotle says his God has no potential because if he did he would need a third party to move him and so on to infinity which is impossible
• Therefore we can say God is perfect and to be perfect means to be in pure actuality

Question 12

What does Aristotle conclude about God

Answer 12

• Aristotle concludes that God is pure actuality and unchanging ( immutable). God is fully whatever it is to be God
• Aristotle also says God is perfect ( becoming perfect would involve a change) and being supremely perfect, God would have no interest at all in the universe or awareness of it
• Aristotle argues whatever is perfect could not be in space or time , so Aristotle concludes God exists outside space and time

Question 13

What does Aristotle say God does not do

Answer 13

Aristotle says God does not perform any kind of physical activity or experience any emotion as this would bring about change(potential) in Gods inner state. So God does nothing at all

Question 14

What does Aristotle say about the relationship between God and happiness

Answer 14

Aristotle says God is logically supremely happy because he contemplates himself and his own perfect nature -Perfect thought requires perfect object of thought. Therefore God would only contemplate himself

Question 15

What does Aristotle say about the make up of God

Answer 15

Aristotle says the prime mover must be purely spiritual- an immaterial substance because things change in this world if they are material substances

Question 16

What does Aristotle Say about God being eternal

Answer 16

Aristotle says that God has no beginning no end and and has always existed. This follows logically on from the fact that he cannot change as if he cannot change he cannot seize to exist.