In his work “Metaphysics,” Aristotle presents the concept of the prime mover. Philosophers have also called it the unmoved mover, the prime cause, the prime mover, or the first cause. All those terms have the same meaning, namely, the idea that there is a single entity responsible for everything that happens.
Aristotle (384-322 BC) was not the first philosopher to put forward the theory of a single force driving the cosmos, but he kept the inventor’s glory because he wrote down his thoughts about the matter.
In “Metaphysics,” Aristotle argued that there must be some unchanging, eternal source driving all changes we perceive day in and day out.
Aristotle’s description of the prime mover
Aristotle viewed the prime mover as hypothesis or working concept to be explored. He found the idea interesting to play with, but never claimed that it was a proven fact.
The prime mover, theorized Aristotle, should consist of pure actuality that is devoid of potentiality. This means it is already perfect and complete in its present shape (“actuality”) and that has no unrealized goals or desires (“potentiality”).
Aristotle speculated further that, if the prime mover remains at the origin of all events, it should consist of an intangible and immutable force. According to this theory, the prime mover is going to set events in motion and drive them towards a goal or purpose (“final cause”).
Despite my admiration for Aristotle, I must say that his idea of the prime mover does not make any sense, nor has any basis in observable reality. It’s unfortunate that Aristotle devoted two chapters of “Metaphysics” to elaborate on this concept because it has wasted the time of later philosophers.
Problems with Aristotle’s theory of the prime mover
To make things worse, Aristotle put forward that the prime mover is situated at the pinnacle of a hierarchical structure of reality. I regard Aristotle’s “hierarchical structure of reality” as delusional as his concept of the prime mover. It takes a minute of observation to realize that reality isn’t hierarchical. The idea is pure, unadulterated nonsense.
To justify his “hierarchical structure of reality,” Aristotle put forward that all world events are connected by a “great chain” of causality. In my view, the “great chain” is nothing but great nonsense and does not deserve further thought.
Aristotle also filled a dozen pages with speculations on the characteristics of the prime mover. He claimed that it should be intangible, unmoved, unchangeable, perfect, singular, unified, eternal, stable, and consisting of pure thoughts. It is of course obvious that he was just making up those “characteristics.”
Origin of Aristotle’s theory of the prime mover
The most intriguing part is why Aristotle came up with such a nonsensical concept as the prime mover, and why he devoted so much effort to justify it and adorn it with magical attributes.
A likely explanation is that, when Aristotle wrote his book “Metaphysics,” he was still heavily under Plato’s influence. In the prime mover theory, we can distinguish mystical elements that are reminiscent of Plato’s theory of the forms.
The eternity, intangibility and perfection of Aristotle’s prime mover correspond to Plato’s mystical world of abstractions. He called them “forms” or perfect ideas, and claimed they exist in a separate, intangible world.
When Plato (429-347 BC) passed away, Aristotle started to write books where he outlined his own ideas. Nonetheless, the books written in the period 347-335 BC still show a significant Platonic influence.
The most “purely Aristotelian” books written or dictated by Aristotle are those produced after 335 BC, that is, after he had opened in Athens his own school, which he called “Lyceum.”
Impact of Aristotle’s theory of the prime mover
The problem with the prime-mover theory is not only that is false, but that it has been magnified by later philosophers. For example, Plotinus (205-270 AD) wrote copiously about divine and mystical characteristics of the prime mover.
Plotinus took Aristotle’s fiction of “a hierarchical structure of reality” and blew it out of proportion. Aristotle had placed the prime mover at the pinnacle of the hierarchy, but Plotinus merged the concept of prime mover and God, arguing that each entity and event are divinely driven.
Do not let the prime-mover theory distract you from the key philosophical contributions made by Aristotle. His insights on causality, logic, ethics and art remain unparalleled. Learn those lessons and use them daily to make your life better.
If you are interested in how to apply Aristotle’s ideas day by day in all circumstances, I recommend you my book “Rational living, rational working.”
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