Aristotle’s third argument also occurs in Physics VIII, 5. Let’s suppose (for contradiction) that there is an infinite regress of motions, M1 moved by M2, M2 by M3, etc. We’re going to simplify somewhat Aristotle’s actual argument. Aristotle proceeds by way of a dilemma, setting up a disjunction of two alternatives: either (i) in allContinue reading “Aristotle against Infinite Regress, III”
Category Archives: Aristotle’s Argument from Motion
Aristotle against Infinite Regress, II
Aristotle’s second argument against an infinite regress of motions is the one that Thomas Aquinas relies upon in the First Way. It occurs in Physics VIII, chapter 5. In this argument, Aristotle makes a distinction between two kinds of causes: primary and intermediate. If we have a series of motions that are causally related, andContinue reading “Aristotle against Infinite Regress, II”
Aristotle: Two Kinds of Infinite Regress
The first problem we face, when interpreting Aristotle’s arguments against an infinite causal regress of motions in Physics VII and VIII is the apparent inconsistency between his no-regress arguments and his explicit belief that the universe is infinitely old. Aristotle believed that each of us has infinitely long family tree: father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and soContinue reading “Aristotle: Two Kinds of Infinite Regress”
Why does Time Pass?
Aristotle assumes, in his arguments for an Unmoved Mover in Physics VII and VIII, that all of the causes of motion that he is considering are non-successive, in the sense that the cause does not end before the effect ends. Why does he do so? Not because he thinks that all causes are non-successive. AsContinue reading “Why does Time Pass?”
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”
The Analytic Thomist 