MOTIONLESS MOTION 289 



Aristotle works out a modus Vivendi by which man, or at least 

 some men, could arrive at an end of this sort. In the last part 

 of the Politics he speaks of a speculative life for the whole 

 society whereby all citizens would participate in some way in 

 this " divine " life. This life would be realized most completely 

 in the philosophers. However, even these latter would attain 

 only a participation in that more perfect life which exists in 

 the separated intelligences. The other members of the society 

 would in turn participate, to the extent possible for each, in 

 the contemplative life through the philosophers. This would 

 be achieved by ordering the whole social conversation to the 

 intellectual life, including entertainment, education, law, and 

 the arts. Aristotle conceived of music as playing a special role 

 in the communication of this life. In this way, since the specu- 

 lative life is itself something divine and thus beyond the 

 ordinary powers of man, the ultimate happiness of man and 

 of society itself would be found by bringing out that which is 

 absolutely best in man's nature. 



It would not be quite precise to say that such an idea of man's 

 nature and his end is rejected today. Actually, for the most 

 part it is not even considered. Most men today, including a 

 great many who call themselves philosophers, would be scan- 

 dalized by any analysis which seriously considers " separated 

 intelligences " and which would attempt, in the purely natural 

 order as opposed to the supernatural, to find a place for them 

 in any discussion of the end of man. As far as finding man's 

 end in the life of the intellect, many would probably admit 

 that it is in some way desirable but not very practical.*' 

 Furthermore, if man must contemplate let the object be man. 

 Such a complete rejection of the Greek ideal can be explained 

 very well by carefully considering the concept of motionless 

 motion and by studying the kind of philosophy or " world 

 view " to which it gives rise when it is considered as the funda- 

 mental idea in the study of Nature. This is not to say that 



" This would explain some of the modern confusion in discussions of the 

 " liberal " arts. 



