Aristotle Quote by Étienne Gilson
““The God of St. Thomas and Dante is a God Who loves, the god of Aristotle is a god who does not refuse to be loved; the love that moves the heavens and the stars in Aristotle is the love of the heavens and the stars for god, but the love that moves them in St. Thomas and Dante is the love of God for the world; between these two motive causes there is all the difference between an efficient cause on the one hand, and a final cause on the other.””
About This Quote
Source Philosophical Essay: “The God of St. Thomas and Dante” by Étienne Gilson, 1935
Contrasts love‑driven divine purpose with impersonal rational causality.
In simple terms: Divine love differs from logical cause.
Key Takeaway
Recognize love as a guiding purpose.
Themes
theology
philosophy
love
Mood
contemplative
inquisitive
Type
theological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- religious practice
- ethical decision‑making
- personal reflection
- artistic creation
Key Concepts
final cause
efficient cause
metaphysics
Questions to Reflect On
- Does love or reason better explain the universe?
- How does this view affect moral choices?
A Different Perspective
Love‑centered causality may overlook rational analysis.
![“Pure sensism leads inevitably to universal doubt; if reality is in the end reducible to sensible appearance, then, since this is in a state of perpetual flux and self-contradiction, no kind of certitude will any longer be possible. [...] Truth is necessary and immutable; but in the sensible order…” quote by Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5c/etienne-gilson-21565_reality_pure-sensism-leads-inevitably-to-univers_1728131.jpg)
