In this paper, I defend a novel interpretation of Antoine Arnauld’s conception of God, namely a p... more In this paper, I defend a novel interpretation of Antoine Arnauld’s conception of God, namely a partially hidden conception of God. I focus on divine simplicity and whether God acts for reasons. I argue that Arnauld holds the view that God, God’s action, and God’s attributes are (i) identical and (ii) conceptually distinct but that (iii) there are no conceptual priorities among them. Next, I argue that Arnauld’s view about whether God has any type of reasons is agnosticism but that there are certain types of reasons we know that God does not have, for example, practical reasons.
Nicolas Malebranche (b. 1638–d. 1715) was a Parisian-born French philosopher and Oratorian. In 16... more Nicolas Malebranche (b. 1638–d. 1715) was a Parisian-born French philosopher and Oratorian. In 1660, Malebranche entered the Congregation of the Oratory—a Catholic order founded by Pierre Bérulle in 1611—and was ordained in 1664. As relayed by his first biographer—Yves André—in the same year as being ordained, Malebranche discovered a copy of René Descartes’s Treatise on Man in Paris and upon reading it was so ecstatic that he experienced violent heart palpitations. Ultimately, Malebranche developed a philosophical and theological system that was intentionally an amalgam of Cartesianism and the thought of Augustine of Hippo. He is among the preeminent continental rationalists of 17th century Europe along with the more well-known thinkers René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Leibniz. While one must be careful to not import too much into this categorization as it can at times obscure more than it illuminates, rationalism is roughly the view that persons can have some substant...
Nicolas Malebranche holds that God can act in two ways: by general volitions or by particular vol... more Nicolas Malebranche holds that God can act in two ways: by general volitions or by particular volitions. Malebranche is clear that general volitions are acts of God in accordance with the laws of nature or laws of grace, and always have a secondary cause that occasions the event. He is much less direct about how, exactly, to understand particular volitions and when, if ever, they occur. In this paper, we examine the nature and possibility of divine particular actions in Malebranche's system by way of an analysis of his discussions of creation, original sin, and the Incarnation of Christ.
In the 1680s, Gottfried Leibniz and Antoine Arnauld engaged in a philosophically rich corresponde... more In the 1680s, Gottfried Leibniz and Antoine Arnauld engaged in a philosophically rich correspondence. One issue they discuss is modal metaphysics– questions concerning necessity, possibility, and essence. While Arnauld's contributions to the correspondence are considered generally astute, his contributions on this issue have not always received a warm treatment. I argue that Arnauld's criticisms of Leibniz are sophisticated and that Arnauld offers his own Cartesian account in its place. In particular, I argue that Arnauld offers an account of possibility that is actualist (only actual things exist), modal actualist (modality is irreducible) and essence-based (essences ground de re counterfactuals).
PORT-ROYAL ET LA VOIE DES IDÉES CONFUSES PORT-ROYAL AND THE PATH OF CONFUSED IDEAS, 2023
"Port-Royal et la voie des idées confuses" Revue internationale de philosophie 2023/4 (n° 306)
... more "Port-Royal et la voie des idées confuses" Revue internationale de philosophie 2023/4 (n° 306)
0. Alberto Frigo, Introduction
1. Paola Nicolas, Do we Take Notice of All Our Mental Acts? Contribution of The Late Scholasticism to The problem of Consciousness
2. Eric Stencil and Julie Walsh, Pensées Imperceptibles in Arnauld and Nicole
3. Xavier Kieft, La psychologie cartésienne turlupinée et l’anthropologie secrète de Pierre Nicole
4. Fiormichele Benigni, « Éclipse de raison ». François Lamy contre la musique
5. Angela Ferraro, Se tromper de bonne foi. Autour de l’obscurité et de l’ambiguïté du sentiment intérieur selon Malebranche
In this paper, I defend a novel interpretation of Antoine Arnauld’s conception of God, namely a p... more In this paper, I defend a novel interpretation of Antoine Arnauld’s conception of God, namely a partially hidden conception of God. I focus on divine simplicity and whether God acts for reasons. I argue that Arnauld holds the view that God, God’s action, and God’s attributes are (i) identical and (ii) conceptually distinct but that (iii) there are no conceptual priorities among them. Next, I argue that Arnauld’s view about whether God has any type of reasons is agnosticism but that there are certain types of reasons we know that God does not have, for example, practical reasons.
Nicolas Malebranche (b. 1638–d. 1715) was a Parisian-born French philosopher and Oratorian. In 16... more Nicolas Malebranche (b. 1638–d. 1715) was a Parisian-born French philosopher and Oratorian. In 1660, Malebranche entered the Congregation of the Oratory—a Catholic order founded by Pierre Bérulle in 1611—and was ordained in 1664. As relayed by his first biographer—Yves André—in the same year as being ordained, Malebranche discovered a copy of René Descartes’s Treatise on Man in Paris and upon reading it was so ecstatic that he experienced violent heart palpitations. Ultimately, Malebranche developed a philosophical and theological system that was intentionally an amalgam of Cartesianism and the thought of Augustine of Hippo. He is among the preeminent continental rationalists of 17th century Europe along with the more well-known thinkers René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Leibniz. While one must be careful to not import too much into this categorization as it can at times obscure more than it illuminates, rationalism is roughly the view that persons can have some substant...
Nicolas Malebranche holds that God can act in two ways: by general volitions or by particular vol... more Nicolas Malebranche holds that God can act in two ways: by general volitions or by particular volitions. Malebranche is clear that general volitions are acts of God in accordance with the laws of nature or laws of grace, and always have a secondary cause that occasions the event. He is much less direct about how, exactly, to understand particular volitions and when, if ever, they occur. In this paper, we examine the nature and possibility of divine particular actions in Malebranche's system by way of an analysis of his discussions of creation, original sin, and the Incarnation of Christ.
In the 1680s, Gottfried Leibniz and Antoine Arnauld engaged in a philosophically rich corresponde... more In the 1680s, Gottfried Leibniz and Antoine Arnauld engaged in a philosophically rich correspondence. One issue they discuss is modal metaphysics– questions concerning necessity, possibility, and essence. While Arnauld's contributions to the correspondence are considered generally astute, his contributions on this issue have not always received a warm treatment. I argue that Arnauld's criticisms of Leibniz are sophisticated and that Arnauld offers his own Cartesian account in its place. In particular, I argue that Arnauld offers an account of possibility that is actualist (only actual things exist), modal actualist (modality is irreducible) and essence-based (essences ground de re counterfactuals).
PORT-ROYAL ET LA VOIE DES IDÉES CONFUSES PORT-ROYAL AND THE PATH OF CONFUSED IDEAS, 2023
"Port-Royal et la voie des idées confuses" Revue internationale de philosophie 2023/4 (n° 306)
... more "Port-Royal et la voie des idées confuses" Revue internationale de philosophie 2023/4 (n° 306)
0. Alberto Frigo, Introduction
1. Paola Nicolas, Do we Take Notice of All Our Mental Acts? Contribution of The Late Scholasticism to The problem of Consciousness
2. Eric Stencil and Julie Walsh, Pensées Imperceptibles in Arnauld and Nicole
3. Xavier Kieft, La psychologie cartésienne turlupinée et l’anthropologie secrète de Pierre Nicole
4. Fiormichele Benigni, « Éclipse de raison ». François Lamy contre la musique
5. Angela Ferraro, Se tromper de bonne foi. Autour de l’obscurité et de l’ambiguïté du sentiment intérieur selon Malebranche
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https://www.cairn.info/revue-internationale-de-philosophie-2023-4.htm
0. Alberto Frigo, Introduction
1. Paola Nicolas, Do we Take Notice of All Our Mental Acts? Contribution of The Late Scholasticism to The problem of Consciousness
2. Eric Stencil and Julie Walsh, Pensées Imperceptibles in Arnauld and Nicole
3. Xavier Kieft, La psychologie cartésienne turlupinée et l’anthropologie secrète de Pierre Nicole
4. Fiormichele Benigni, « Éclipse de raison ». François Lamy contre la musique
5. Angela Ferraro, Se tromper de bonne foi. Autour de l’obscurité et de l’ambiguïté du sentiment intérieur selon Malebranche
https://www.cairn.info/revue-internationale-de-philosophie-2023-4.htm
0. Alberto Frigo, Introduction
1. Paola Nicolas, Do we Take Notice of All Our Mental Acts? Contribution of The Late Scholasticism to The problem of Consciousness
2. Eric Stencil and Julie Walsh, Pensées Imperceptibles in Arnauld and Nicole
3. Xavier Kieft, La psychologie cartésienne turlupinée et l’anthropologie secrète de Pierre Nicole
4. Fiormichele Benigni, « Éclipse de raison ». François Lamy contre la musique
5. Angela Ferraro, Se tromper de bonne foi. Autour de l’obscurité et de l’ambiguïté du sentiment intérieur selon Malebranche