The Theory of the Unmoved Mover
The explanation of the earth's existence and the initializer of the countless motions and hence the activities that take place every day is one of the most difficult jobs philosophers have ever sought to complete. Aristotle became interested in the subject and used the theory of the unmoved mover to try to solve the riddle. According to Aristotle's explanation, the primary cause of motion in all elements of the cosmos is over a prime. This principal mover, however, is unaffected both before and after its operations. Aristotle also says that this mover fills the outer vacuum of the realm beyond the stars and has the qualities of beauty, indivisibility, and perfect contemplation (Falcon). However, Aristotle diverts from Aquinas perspective by mentioning that the prime mover is not a physical mover but rather an intellect form, which influences other bodies to emulate it.
Aquinas' Philosophy: Convergence with Aristotle's Perspective
Saint Thomas Aquinas' philosophy almost converges with that of Aristotle concerning the prime mover. Aquinas highlights five elements regarding God's existence. These aspects include the motion argument, causation, contingency, degree and teleological perspective. According to Aquinas the changes that take place in the world result from a cause of change which, in itself, remains constant. This unchanging force is God (Floyd). An in-depth outlook on the two philosophies reveals that both Aristotle and Aquinas acknowledge that the existence of life and the processes that take place every day are dependent on a supreme force which is independent, constant, and influential to all other bodies. However, while Aquinas points out that this force is God Almighty, Aristotle veers away from the mention of God. In fact, additional thoughts from him indicate that powerless gods do not satisfactorily fit the description of a prime mover.
Works Cited
Falcon, Andrea. “Aristotle on Causality.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Archive, 11 March 2015, https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2015/entries/aristotle-causality/#FouCau. Accessed 28 September 2017.
Floyd, Shawn. “Aquinas: Philosophical Theology.” nternet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2015, Ihttp://www.iep.utm.edu/aq-ph-th/#SH2b. Accessed 28 September 2017.
