agennetos

agennetos is a term derived from ancient Greek, specifically from the words "a-" (not) and "genesis" (birth or origin). It literally translates to "unborn" or "without origin." In philosophical and theological contexts, agennetos is often used to describe a being that has no beginning, an entity that has always existed. This concept is fundamental in discussions about the nature of ultimate reality, God, or prime movers.

The idea of an agennetos entity implies an eternal existence, transcending the limitations of time and causality. It suggests a fundamental, uncaused cause from which all other things derive their existence. Many ancient Greek philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle, grappled with the concept of an uncaused cause or a first principle that was itself ungenerated. Similarly, various theological traditions describe God as agennetos, emphasizing divine immutability and eternal being. The concept differentiates between contingent beings, which have a beginning and depend on something else for their existence, and the necessary, eternal being that is agennetos.