TheArgumentfromMotion

fortheExistenceofGod

Thisisanexplanationoftheargumentfromchange/motion.TheargumenthasrootsinPlato,
andAristotlesfamousargumentforanunmovedmover.Thisparticularversionoftheargument
ismostpopularlyknownastheFirstWayofAquinassFiveWays.

CommonMisconceptions

Thisargumentis

nottryingtoprovethattheuniversehasacause,orabeginning.Aquinas
thoughtitwaspossibleinprinciplethattheuniverseisinfinitelyold.Theargumentisforaprime
motorbehindthescenes,continuallycausingallchangeyouseearoundyou,regardlessof
howoldtheuniverseisorwhereitcamefrom.

PrerequisiteConcepts

Actandpotency

Whenanobjectchanges,thisentailsthatisacertainwaybutpotentiallydifferent.Forexample,
anacornisactuallyaseedbutpotentiallyanoaktree.Giventherightconditions,that
potentialitywillbecomeanactuality:theseeddevelopsintoanoaktree.

Buttheconceptisbroaderthanjustchange.Eventheexistenceofathingatanymomentwill,
often,involvedanactualizedpotency.Forexample,theexistenceofanoxygenmoleculeatany
momentdependsuponthemolecularbondsholdingitscomponentatomsinplace,and
thereforetheexistenceoftheoxygenmoleculeentailsanactualizedpotency.

OntologicalPriority

Next,weneedtounderstandtheconceptofontologicalpriority.AnobjectAisontologically
priortoobjectBwhenBwouldnotexistwithoutA.Tostickwiththeaboveexample,theoxygen
moleculepresupposestheexistenceofmolecularbonds.Ifmolecularbondsdontexist,then
neitherwouldtheoxygenmolecule.Molecularbondsareontologicallypriortooxygen
molecules.Notethatthisisnotnecessarilyatemporalrelationship.Inprinciple,anoxygen
moleculecouldhaveexistedforever,inwhichcasemolecularbondswerenotaneventthat
happenedbeforetheoxygenmoleculecameintoexistence,butarestillprior,

ontologicallyprior,
tothemolecule.

TheArgument

Apotencyisnotyetactual/existent.Thepotentialoaktree(actualacorn)isnotyetactual.Since
apotentialdoesnotexist,itcannotmakeitselfactual.Apotencycanonlybemadeactualby
somethingthatisalreadyactual.Inotherwords,actualityisontologicallypriortopotency.
Therefore,ontologicallypriortoanypotenciesatallissomethingpurelyactual:something
withoutanypotencies.

God?

Giventheexistenceofsomethingpurelyactual,whatcanwesayaboutit?

First,wecanknowthatitcannotbesomethingmaterial.Matterhasthepotentialtochange
location,thepotentialtobreakapart,thepotentialtobestructured,andsoon.Sotheprime
movermustbeimmaterial.

Italsomustbesomethingwhosepast,present,andfuturearesimultaneous,becauseifithad
thepotentialtogrowolderthanitisnow,thenitjustwouldntbepurelyactual.Soitmustbe
timeless.

Itcannotbesomethingwithspatiallocation,sincethatwouldentailapotentialtochange
location.Soitmustbespaceless.

Sinceitisthecauseofallactualizedpotentials,andthereforethecauseofeverythingthat
happensorcouldhappen,itmustbeallpowerful.

Animperfectioninsomethingisaflaw,oralackofsomethingtheobjectwouldnormallyhave
givenwhatitis.Alackofsomethingisanunrealizedpotential,sotheprimemover,inlackingall
potentials,mustthereforebeperfect.

Anobjectcanexistintwoways:asaphysicalobject,orasanabstractobjectasthoughtbya
mind.Forexample,adogcanexistasaphysicaldog,orastheabstractconceptofdogas
thoughtbysomeone.Sincetheprimemoverisimmaterial,itmustthereforeoccupythe
intellectualrealm,andisthusintelligent.

CommonObjections

Objection1:Wedontknowthatmuchaboutcauseandeffectintheearlyhistoryofthe
universe.

Again,thisargumentisnottryingtoprovetheuniversehadacauseorabeginning.Itisproving
theexistenceofaprimemoverasamotorbehindthescenesrightnow,causingallactivity
youseearoundyou.Muchaswemightreasonfromthemovinghandsofaclock,whichwecan
see,tothemotorinsidetheclock,whichwecannotsee.

Objection2:Quantumeventsprovethatthingsoccurwithoutacause.

Quantumeventsabsolutelyhaveacause.Forexample,betadecayiscausedbytheirbeingan
unequalnumberofprotonsorneutronsinanucleus.Acauseisnotapriorevent,butan
explanationofwhysomethingisthewayitis.

Objection3:Aquinasdidntknowanythingaboutmodernphysics.Hisprinciplesno
longerholdtrue.

Nothinginthisargumenthasanythingtodowithphysics,butratherwithcausalityingeneral.
Thepointisbroaderthananyspecificnaturalscience,applyingtochangeandcausality
regardlessofthespecificcircumstances.