51ºÚÁÏ

Philosophy
(A love of wisdom)
Philosophers over the centuries have grappled with the questions ranging
from:

• Does God exist?
• What is right and wrong?
• How do you live a good life?
  Greek Philosophers
  Plato, Aristotle and Socrates had their work translated into Arabic and kept in
  libraries in Baghdad.
  Aristotle’s Prime Mover and the existence of God
  Aristotle called the thing that caused the universe to go into constant
  state of motion the Prime Mover. For Aristotle the Prime Mover was God.
  The Prime Mover is in a state of pure actuality- it has no potential for
  change itself. As the Prime Mover has no potentiality, it cannot have put
  the universe in motion with a physical action, as this physical action
  would have caused change to the Prime Mover. Therefore, the Prime
  Mover is not the EFFICIENT cause of the universe, but the FINAL cause.
  The Prime Mover is perfect and all things want to imitate this perfection.
  All things in the universe are attracted to the prime mover.
  This attraction to perfection provides a PURPOSE for change. The desire
  for God and perfection is the goal or purpose for changing. Therefore the
  Prime Mover is the FINAL cause.
  Arguments against Aristotle’s Prime Mover
• Aristotle’s impersonal God is different to the traditional view of a God who is
  involved in the Universe (Christianity/Islam//Judaism/Hinduism).
• The Prime Mover is unloving and does not care or even know about human
  existence. is this really what a God would be like?
• Does there have to be a final cause or purpose for the Universe?
• Can it not just exist and not have a cause? (Bertrand Russell)