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Leibniz - Function, Form, Mind and the Unmoving mover
Identifier
020581
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Letter to Thomasius 1668
Because a body is nothing else than matter and figure, but the reason of motion cannot be understood either from the matter or figure, the reason of motion must lie outside of the body.
And when there is nothing conceivable outside the body other than a thinking being or the mind, the mind will be the reason of motion. But the mind as the driver of the universe is God.
But when we admit any incorporeal and, so to speak, spiritual substantial forms by which bodies could move themselves, by which the stone could drive itself downwards, the fire upwards and plants could grow and animals move away from their own impetus without any incorporeal mover, we will block ourselves from the suitable way of demonstration of God.
So the famous theorem of Aristotle will collapse; whatever is moving has the reason of its motion outside itself. Also he worked his way up to the first mover in this way…..