Part III The True Self Chapter 7 The First Cause In chapter 1 of this book, I introduced the study of metaphysics as a way to determine the existence of God. In Aristotle’s treatise titled, “Metaphysics, Alpha through Epsilon,” found in the 2012 edition of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, it is said that Aristotle stated that there could only be, a priori, a single First Cause which itself could not be caused. This First Cause is a being with substance that by its essence could exist beyond human perception. Aristotle postulated how there may be unity and yet multiplicity within that unity, a concept, …show more content…
They depended upon the rhythms of the solar year to know when to plant, cultivate, and harvest their grains and when their livestock would give birth to the next generation of their kind. Beyond the practical aspect of providing food for themselves, they must have had a sense of awe at the rhythms of nature, the returning cycle of seasons, and a yearly predictable rhythm of the sun, moon, and stars which they could not help but observe over …show more content…
But after 330 AD, with Emperor Constantine’s support, Christian doctrine was codified into the Nicene Creed and canonical law. We know of a number of Christian gospels deemed unsuitable by the church fathers. These gospels, the Apocryphal, were deemed non-canonical by the authority of the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. It is interesting to note that one of the concepts most condemned to obscurity was that of reincarnation of the human soul. I mention this in preparation for the discussion of the soul in the next