The crisis of causality : Voetius and Descartes on God, nature, and change / by J.A. van Ruler.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ruler, J. A. van, 1963- author.

Series:

Brill's studies in intellectual history ; v. 66.

Brill's studies in intellectual history, 0920-8607 ; volume 66

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Causation--History--17th century.

Causation.

God--History of doctrines--17th century.

God.

Philosophy of nature--History--17th century.

Philosophy of nature.

Change--History--17th century.

Change.

Vitalism--History--17th century.

Vitalism.

Mechanism (Philosophy)--History--17th century.

Mechanism (Philosophy).

Voet, Gijsbert, 1589-1676.

Voet, Gijsbert.

Descartes, René, 1596-1650.

Descartes, René.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (366 pages)

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; New York : E.J. Brill, 1995.

Summary:

The Crisis of Causality deals with the reaction of the Dutch Calvinist theologian Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676) to the New Philosophy of René Descartes (1596-1650). Voetius not only criticised the Cartesian idea of a mechanical Universe; he also foresaw that shifting conceptions of natural causality would make it impossible for theologians to explain the relationship between God and Creation in philosophical terms. This threatened the status of theology as a scientific discipline. Apart from a detailed analysis of the Scholastic and Cartesian notions of causality, the book offers new perspectives on related subjects, such as seventeenth-century university training and the Cartesian method of science. It will be of great importance to any student of seventeenth-century intellectual history, philosophy, theology and history of science.

Contents:

Preliminary Material / J. A. van Ruler

INTRODUCTION / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER ONE: VOETIUS' ESSAY \'ON THE NATURES AND SUBSTANTIAL FORMS OF THINGS\' / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER TWO: SPECIES AND FORMS / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER THREE: FINALIST PHYSICS / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER FOUR: THE MECHANICAL ALTERNATIVE: PERCEPTION AND CAUSALITY / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER FIVE: THE MECHANICAL ALTERNATIVE: FROM ENDS TO IMPULSE / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER SIX: THE COMPOSITE CHARACTER OF SUBSTANTIAL UNITY / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER SEVEN: ULTIMATE CAUSES IN MECHANICAL PHYSICS / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE CARTESIAN WORLD / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER NINE: CAUSES, CONSERVATION AND CONCURRENCE / J. A. van Ruler

CHAPTER TEN: CONCLUSIONS: THEOLOGY BETWEEN VITALISM AND MECHANISM / J. A. van Ruler

BIBLIOGRAPHY / J. A. van Ruler

INDEX / J. A. van Ruler.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

90-04-24720-3

OCLC:

32543657

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004247208 DOI