key questions

• How does Plato‘s Form of the Good compare with Aristotles Prime mover?

  Common

  • influential on Christian understanding of God
  • both give an answer as to why everything exists
  • both have an independent, necessary existence
  • neither have an interest in common affairs

  Differences

  • The Form of Good doesn’t attract things whereas the Prime mover does
  • The Form of Good doesn’t think, the Prime Mover only thinks of itself
  • Form of the Good is only to do with Goodness, but the Prime Mover is motion, causation and morality change
  • Form of Good could be encountered one day, the Prime Mover can’t be
• Aristotle is an empiricist and Plato is a Rationalist