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How does Aristotle’s Prime Mover Work?

In Physics Books VII and VIII, Aristotle lays out a number of arguments for the existence of a “prime” or unmoved mover. The Prime Mover is ultimately responsible for all change (motion) and so for the forward progress of time itself (given that time is the measure of change). Aristotle’s argument build on Plato’s earlyContinue reading “How does Aristotle’s Prime Mover Work?”

Aristotle on the Nature of Time

In order to understand Thomas’s First Way, we have to have a firm grasp on Aristotle’s reasons for positing un Unmoved or Prime Mover in his Physics. And to that, we have to understand his account of time and change. In modern philosophy and science, since the time of Galileo and Descartes, we are accustomedContinue reading “Aristotle on the Nature of Time”

Principles of Interpretation

Before going into the details about my interpretation of the Five Ways text, I want to lay out some of the hermeneutical principles that guide my interpretation. First, it is essential not to rely on English translations of Thomas’s works, or of the works of Aristotle, Maimonides, Avicenna, and other relevant thinkers. As Dan BonevacContinue reading “Principles of Interpretation”

Four Problems with the First Way

It will be convenient to break the claim about the finiteness of causal chains into two parts: first, the impossibility of circular causation, and second, the impossibility of noncyclical infinite regresses. To establish that circular causation is impossible, we need two assumptions: that causation is transitive, and that no change causes itself. Here’s the argument:Continue reading “Four Problems with the First Way”

Interpreting the First Way

Here is the text of the First Way (from the Leontine translation, with a few minor changes by the authors, set in italics): The first and more manifest way is the argument from motion. It is certain, and evident to our senses, that in the world some things are in motion. Now whatever is movedContinue reading “Interpreting the First Way”

Recovering the Five Ways

I have an exciting new project to announce: my colleague Dan Bonevac and I have begun work on a new book on Thomas Aquinas’s Five Ways. We have something quite new, even revolutionary, to say about each of the Five Ways. Putting all false modesty aside, I think we’ve uncovered arguments in Thomas’s text thatContinue reading “Recovering the Five Ways”

My Reconstruction of the Fifth Way

Here is how I would reconstruct the essential argument of the Fifth Way: Some non-intelligent agents have ends. Every agent that sets its own end is intelligent. Any agent that has an end and that does not set its own end has its end set by something else that also has ends. (Seriality) The end-settingContinue reading “My Reconstruction of the Fifth Way”

The New Web Site for My Blog

I’ve moved my philosophical blog from my BlueHost web page, robkoons.net/the-rigorous-thomist.html to a WordPress hosted site, analyticthomist.com. You can still find links to my papers and audio and video files on my robkoons.net site, and you can find old blog posts (from June 2021-August 2022) there, but my weekly blog posts will now appear here.Continue reading “The New Web Site for My Blog”