The Unmoved Mover
What force sets all things in motion?
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Introduction
Aristotle
Thomas Aquinas
Plotinus
Alfred North Whitehead
The Unmoved Mover Philosophy
The Prime Mover
Cause of Motion
Perfect Being
Contemplation
Uncaused Cause
God-like Being
Metaphysical Principle
Philosophical Influence
Continued Debate
Lesson Details & Resources
In a Nutshell
- Concept: The Unmoved Mover is a philosophical concept that refers to a transcendent, immaterial, and eternal being that initiates and sustains motion in the universe.
- Thinkers: Aristotle, 4th Century BC
- Central Question: What is the ultimate source of motion and change in the world?
- Core Implication: The existence of an eternal, unchanging, and perfect being as the ultimate cause of all motion and change in the universe.
Timeline of The Unmoved Mover
Aristotle introduces the concept of the Unmoved Mover in his work Metaphysics
Thomas Aquinas incorporates the Unmoved Mover into his philosophical system in Summa Theologica
Rene Descartes critiques the concept of the Unmoved Mover in his Meditations on First Philosophy
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz discusses the Unmoved Mover in his work Theodicy
Immanuel Kant criticizes the concept of the Unmoved Mover in his Critique of Pure Reason
Friedrich Nietzsche rejects the idea of the Unmoved Mover in his work Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Martin Heidegger discusses the Unmoved Mover in his work Being and Time
Jean-Paul Sartre critiques the concept of the Unmoved Mover in his work Being and Nothingness
Alfred North Whitehead incorporates the Unmoved Mover into his process philosophy in Process and Reality
Jacques Derrida deconstructs the idea of the Unmoved Mover in his work Of Grammatology
Richard Dawkins criticizes the concept of the Unmoved Mover in his book The God Delusion
Vocabulary List
- The Unmoved Mover
- Aristotle's belief in The Unmoved Mover as the ultimate source of all movement and change in the universe.
- Prime Mover
- The Prime Mover is a central concept in Aristotelian philosophy and theology.
- First Cause
- The concept of a First Cause is often used to argue for the existence of a higher power or deity.
- Motion
- According to Aristotle, all motion in the universe is ultimately caused by The Unmoved Mover.
Key Facts
Analysis & Significance
The Core Argument
The concept of the Unmoved Mover, as articulated by Aristotle, posits that there must be a prime mover who initiates all motion and change in the universe without being moved itself. This prime mover is the ultimate cause of all existence and sets the universe in motion through its own perfection and immutability.
Criticisms and Counterarguments
Critics of the Unmoved Mover argue that this concept is based on outdated metaphysical assumptions and lacks empirical evidence. They question the necessity of a transcendent being to explain the existence of the universe, proposing alternative explanations that do not require a prime mover to account for motion and change.
Modern Relevance
Despite the criticisms, the idea of the Unmoved Mover continues to be relevant in modern discussions about the nature of causality, determinism, and free will. It raises important questions about the origins of the universe, the nature of existence, and the limits of human understanding in a world shaped by complex and interconnected forces.
The Unmoved Mover Games
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