Single Idea 6011

[catalogued under 28. God / A. Divine Nature / 1. God]

Full Idea

Numenius argues that material reality depends on intelligible being, which depends on a first god - the Good - which is difficult to grasp, but which inspires a second god to imitate it, turning to matter and organizing it as the world.

Gist of Idea

There is a remote first god (the Good), and a second god who organises the material world

Source

report of Numenius (fragments/reports [c.160]) by Dominic J. O'Meara - Numenius

Book Reference

'Encyclopedia of Classical Philosophy', ed/tr. Zeyl,Donald J. [Fitzroy Dearborn 1997], p.354


A Reaction

The interaction problem comes either between the two gods, or between the second god and the world. The argument may have failed to catch on for long when people scented an infinite regress lurking in the middle of it.