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equilibrium, living, non-living, Aristotle's many first movers

Trying to guess at how Aristotle would think of these matters:

If the four elements could, as it were, "have their way," then they would settle out so that all earth would be inert at the bottom, above that water, above that air, and above that fire.  Perfectly orderly, but perfectly lifeless.

The churning of these elements that is brought bout by the motion of the spheres may be a necessary condition for the maintenance of life, for it causes a disequilibrium which in turn... (I am not sure of where to go with this).

That churning's source is something that is in some sense alive (actually, for Aristotle, it's not some "one" thing but many spheres, and the many spheres are either ensouled or are moved by immaterial intellects).

Now to the present way of looking at things:

Those aspects of our world which are susceptible to mechanistic description might be the parts that likewise seem to seek equilibrium.  More than mechanics may be needed for life (life being --  at one level of description -- a focal point of disequilibrium).  We need forms of spontaneity... new versions of first-movers.

And further analysis may show that the many first movers need one "first first" mover.

Something to think about...

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