[lit-ideas] Re: The 'Near-Eastern' influences on the Greek philosophy, sc...

  • From: Robert.Paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Robert Paul)
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: 10 Apr 2004 01:40:43 PDT

>There is in Aristotle the notion of a cause that is
radically different from its effects, the Unmoved
Mover. But Aristotle held that we can know nothing
about the Unmoved Mover...<

I'm not sure where he held this. There are two accounts of an unmoved mover in
Aristotle: in Physics, Book 8, and in Metaphysics 12. The account in the
Metaphysics identifies the unmoved mover with God (ho theos). 

He says quite a bit about the UMM--it is eternal; of infinite duration (but not
of infinite magnitude); has _no_ magnitude; is a substance; and, as God, thinks
about its own thinking (the best activity); is necessary; is (because necessary)
good. 

The first mover of the Metaphysics does not impart motion to non-self-movers as
a pushes-and-pulls cause, even if 'cause' is thought of as an Aristotelian
efficient cause.

There's more, but in any case, I'll bet that Aristotle's UMM is far more fully
described than Zeus or Yaweh, or any of that lot.

Robert Paul
Sleepless near Lake Oswego
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