On Aristotle Physics 8.6-10Aristotle's Physics is about the causes of motion and culminates in a proof that God is needed as the ultimate cause of motion. Aristotle argues that things in motion need to be moved by something other than themselves - he rejects Plato's self-movers. On pain of regress, there must be an unmoved mover. If this unmoved mover is to cause motion eternally, it needs infinite power. It cannot, then, be a body, since bodies, being of finite size, cannot house infinite power. The unmoved mover is therefore an incorporeal God. |
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absurd actuality ad infinitum Alexander alteration Anaxagoras animals approximate quotation argument Aristotle MSS Aristotle's attribute becoming white beginning Cael cause motion circle circular motion claim coming consecutive continuous motion contrary motions demonstration Diels divided efficient cause einai elements Empedocles eternal motion Eudemus fact fixed stars following the Aristotle hama heaven heavenly bodies Heraclitus homoeomery indivisible infinite magnitude infinite number instant interval kata kind of motion kineisthai kinoun Metaph motion continuously motion in place moved incidentally moved is moved moves continuously mutual replacement number of halves number of things opposite motions origin perishing Philoponus Phys Plato possess infinite power potentially primary kind primary mover Proclus proves puzzle rectilinear locomotion rectilinear motion refutation respect of place rest Ross prints self-movers Simplicius agreeing Simplicius omits single soul sphere stop straight line sublunary subtracted tên things that move thrower translation turns back undergo motion undergoing locomotion unmoved mover virtue whole