Page 10 - GALIET BEING´S KALEIDOSCOPE: The First Unmoved Mover: Aristotle IV

and fixed stars 3⁄4 resembles the motion of that which is eternal, unchanging, local, circular or rotational, in similarity to the characteristics of Aristotle's quintessential 5th element: Aether. Like Aether, in some respects, the unmoved first mover is endowed with the following characteristics. First and foremost, it is a divine mind7 that is simple and eternal substance. Secondly, it is pure form and pure intelligence. Thirdly, it moves, as the object of desire, through attraction. Fourthly, it is a thinking thing that, because of its perfection doesn’t hold anything else, but its own thought and it is, therefore, thought of thought.
In order to broaden our understanding of Aristotle's deductive argument that supports the existence of an unmoved first mover and the implicit relationship in causality between «first mover» and «motion» (as previously explained), it is essential that we concentrate on the ramifications of Aristotle’s crucial maxim which states that «everything that is in motion must be moved by something» (Phys. 7.1, 241 b 34). We must begin with the basic concept where Aristotle deduces that the first mover must either be moved (without) or unmoved (within or self-moved) for only two alternatives are possible to first movers: (a) a mover that is moved by something else; or (b) a mover that is moved
7 Anaxagoras was one of the first philosophers to explore the concept of a “Mind” as the first principle of the Universe. Waterfield, Robin. The First Philosophers, The Pre- Socratics and The Sophists. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. 116-132
•
• 10 •