Aristotles The Unmoved Mover or The Uncaused Causer

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AristotlesThe Unmoved MoverorThe Uncaused
Causer

• Natalie Hayon
• Sarah Smith
• Ellena Liddicoat
• Sophie Salt
• Beth Edwards

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Aristotle
Greek philosopher
Born in Stageira
384 322 BC
One of the Big Three
Aristotle taught Alexander the great who later
conquered the entire Middle East
Taught By Plato
Thought very differently to Plato
Aristotle was not a native of Athens, but went
there when he was 17 to study at Plato's Academy.
Considered a founder of Modern Biology
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Reasoning for the argument of The Unmoved Mover

• There exists movement in the world.
• Things that move were set into motion by
  something else .
• If everything that moves was caused to move by
  something else, there would be an infinite chain
  of causes. This can't happen.
• Thus, there must have been something that caused
  the first movement.
• This first cause cannot itself have been moved,
  or the infinite chain would start over again.
• Thus, there must be an unmoved mover.

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Substance and Change

• There are 3 divisions
• The sensible
• Which is subdivided into the perishable
• And the eternal.
• He said there are different types of change
• Quality and quantity
• Generation and destruction
• Increase and diminution
• Alteration
• Motion
• Change happens when something goes from one state
  to something of the contrary. For example when
  something potentially exists becomes to exist.

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Substance and Change continued

• A thing can come to be, incidentally, out of
  that which is not, and also all things come to
  be out of that which is, but is potentially, and
  is not actually.
• Substance is composed of different essentials.
  The evidence for this is that there are things
  which differ from each other and that all things
  are composed by elements. As elements
• can combine together to make other substances but
• cannot make these substances on their own then
• there must be different elements.
• For example cheese or bread cannot be the same
• as a cheese sandwich

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The Number of Movers

• Near the end of Aristotles Metaphysics he asks
  a question that many found shocking whether we
  have to suppose one such mover or more than
  one, and if the latter, how many?
• Aristotle concludes that the number of all the
  movers is equal to the number of separate
  movements, and we can determine these by
  considering the mathematical science which is
  most like philosophy.
• However, the mathematicians differentiate on the
  number of movements. Aristotle thinks about the
  number of spheres would be 47 or 55. Although
  still concludes his book Metaphysics with a
  quotation from Iliad The rule of many is not
  good, one ruler let there be.

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• Aristotles concept of the unmoved mover was that
  it was the first cause that set the universe into
  motion.
• Nothing moves the unmoved mover, it starts by
  itself.
• The unmoved mover is also referred to as the
  Prime mover.