Everything in Motion is Put in Motion by Another: A Principle in Aquinas's First Way

I argue for a novel reading of the mover principle used in Aquinas's motion proofs for God's existence. Many interpret Aquinas's principle as holding that everything in motion is moved by something else currently in contact with it. Others, following James Weisheipl, understand the pr...

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Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Shields, Daniel (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
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Publié: Philosophy Documentation Center [2018]
Dans: American catholic philosophical quarterly
Année: 2018, Volume: 92, Numéro: 4, Pages: 535-561
Sujets non-standardisés:B FREE will & determinism
B GOD in Christianity
B DOCTRINAL theology
B Christianity
B THOMAS, Aquinas, Saint, ca. 1225-1274
Accès en ligne: Volltext (doi)
Description
Résumé:I argue for a novel reading of the mover principle used in Aquinas's motion proofs for God's existence. Many interpret Aquinas's principle as holding that everything in motion is moved by something else currently in contact with it. Others, following James Weisheipl, understand the principle as claiming only that everything being moved is being moved by something else. I argue against both readings and hold that the principle means that everything in motion is moved by something else-whether that something else simply set it in motion or is currently moving it by contact. By looking closely at Aquinas's inductive argument for the mover principle, I show that simultaneity between mover and moved is not necessary on Aquinas's view. My interpretation allows me to respond to objections to Aquinas's act-potency argument for the mover principle more convincingly than others, and sets the groundwork for robust engagement between Thomism and modern science.
ISSN:2153-8441
Contient:Enthalten in: American catholic philosophical quarterly
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.5840/acpq2018829163