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Aseity (from Latin a "from" and se "self", plus -ity ) refers to

the property by which a being exists in and of itself, from

itself, or exists as so-and-such of and from itself. [1] The

word is often used to refer to the Christian belief that God

contains within himself the cause of himself, is the first

cause, or rather is simply uncaused, though many Jewish

and Muslim theologians have also believed God to be

independent in this way. [1] Notions of aseity as the highest

principle go back at least to Plato and have been in wide

circulation since Augustine , though the use of the word

'aseity' began only in the Middle Ages. [1]

Meaning

Aseity has two aspects, one positive and one negative:

absolute independence and self-existence. [1] In its

negative meaning, which emerged first in the history of

thought, it affirms that God is uncaused, depending on no

other being for the source of His existence. In its positive

meaning, it affirms that God is completely self-sufficient,having within Himself the sufficient reason for His own

existence. [2] The first concept derives from "the God of

philosophers", while the second one derives from "the living

God of Revelation" ( I am who I am: Exodus3:14 ). [3]

Often, as a part of this belief God is said to be incapable of

changing . [1] Changing implies development. Since God was

and is and is to be the Absolute Perfection, there is no

further need to change: he is (unchanged: Gregory

of Nyssa ), [4][5] actus purus [6] and ipsum esse subsistens

[7][8] ( Thomas Aquinas ).

Many (St. Thomas, for instance) have also thought thataseity implies divine simplicity : that God has no parts of

any kind (whether spatial, temporal, or abstract), since

complexes depend on their individual parts, with none of

which they are identical. [9] A further implication often

drawn among classical theists has been that God is without

emotion or is "impassible" for, it is said, emotion implies

standing as patient (pass-) to some agent i.e.,

dependence. [10] This is so because although God has

created everything, He is not in dependence on His creation.

Philosophical considerations

Whether or not this being should be described as God turns

on whether the label 'Creator' is a rigid designator of God.

Given that most theists understand all that is not God to be

brought about by God, and that many (for example, St.

Aquinas) argue from the non-aseity of the universe to the

existence of God , this problem is somewhat theoretical.

Aseity has also been criticized as being logically

incompatible with the concept of God as a being or of God

as existing. [11] Furthermore, it can be argued that for the

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notion of aseity not to be logically circular or inconsistent,

the supposed entity to which it applies would have to be

identified with its properties, instead of instantiating,

exemplifying or having its properties, and would therefore

be a nonsentient force or potential of indeterminate vitality

(see Monad). This, however, seems to contradict the notion

that God is a person or a causal agent, for what person or

agent can also be a property (or complex of properties)?