Saturday, August 26, 2017

Geocentrism, Hierarchy, Formal Causality

The classification Geocentrism abstracts from the more important characteristic of Aristotle's system, one inherited by the Medieval Theology that absorbs the system, eventually debunked by Heliocentrism.  That characteristic is its hierarchical order, in which Up-Down is Superior-Inferior.  Accordingly, its supreme being must exist at the outer limits of the system, which, as its circumference, necessitates from Aristotle a deification of circular motion.  Furthermore, Up-Down means Lighter-Heavier, and, since Heaviness is caused by Matter, the supreme being is Immaterial.  But, then, it can only be pure Form, thereby severing the presumed complementarity of Form and Matter.  Thus separated from Matter, this deity has no efficacy with respect to it, in which case it cannot be a Formal Cause.  As a result, the Causality of this pure Form, according to Aristotle, is Final, with the longer term consequence that Formal Causality disappears from Philosophical consideration until at least Kant.

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