Creation Of Eternal Truths Research Articles

Philosophie et théologie dans le cartésianisme : la théorie cartésienne de la création des vérités éternelles et sa postérité

This article examines Descartes’ theory of the free creation of eternal truths, showing the theological implications of its underlying philosophical principles. The author ponders the way in which Descartes treats certain topics that pertain to natural theology (God’s dignity and power, the equivocity between the finite and the infinite), as well as the Christological tension that runs through his theory. The theological echoes of this theory are then assessed, looking at thinkers after Descartes as well as the minores, with a focus on two theological themes: the recovery of univocity, and some of the contours of the kind of Christology Descartes’ theory authorizes. The aim of the article, by showing the fruitfulness of an approach that places modern philosophy and theology in conversation, is to ask how a theological reading of Descartes and Cartesian thought may help renew its study.

Conceivability, inconceivability and cartesian modal epistemology

In various arguments, Descartes relies on the principles that conceivability implies possibility and that inconceivability implies impossibility. Those principles are in tension with another Cartesian view about the source of modality, i.e. the doctrine of the free creation of eternal truths. In this paper, I develop a ‘two-modality’ interpretation of the doctrine of eternal truths which resolves the tension and I discuss how the resulting modal epistemology can still be relevant for the contemporary discussion.

The concept of thing (res) in Descartes

The article analyzes the meaning of the concept of res in Descartes? metaphysics. The basic meaning is that thing is an essence that could have even real existence. Through the analysis of Descartes? works that meaning has made more precise against the background of the rational distinction between essence and existence. The relations among the thing and the notions of reality (realitas), the degrees of reality and the modes of reality were shown. The special attention is dedicated to the relation between the thing and the causality, i.e., to the problems how the things could cause and what is the cause of things. The problem of causality is connected with Descartes? teaching concerning the creation of eternal truths; that connection expresses the difference between his and scholastics? concept of thing, which is obvious in his concept of the causation of the degrees of reality. At the end the late, scholastics? notion of supertranscendental meaning of thing is shown in Descartes.

Caterus and Descartes on ideas, causality and eternal truths

The article analyzes the objections of Johannes Caterus, the author of the Fist objections on Meditations, concerning Descartes? understanding of the objective reality of ideas, as well as Descartes? First replies. Caterus? critique rests on late Scholastics understanding of the act of conceiving and its objective terminus, and subsequent notions esse objectivum and realitas objectiva. Since they are extrinsic denominations of extramental represented thing, Caterus concludes that there is no room for the question about their cause. Despite his late Scholastics background, and without knowing for Descartes? doctrine about the creation external truths, Caterus realized that for Descartes the degree of the objective reality of ideas is intrinsic denomination of the essence of thing, that requires efficient cause and that is equivalent with the creation of eternal truths. In his response, Descartes contrasts late Scholastics understanding with his new ?ontology of the possible? according to which there are intramental essences of things, with objective being (esse objectivum) which cannot be reduced to extrinsic denomination (?non nihil?) and which requires actual efficient cause. From that he concludes that very conceivability and intelligibility of essences requires efficient cause.

A teoria cartesiana da criação

Este artigo pretende expor a teoria cartesiana da criação encontrada nas Meditações, da qual decorre coerentemente a teoria da livre criação das verdades eternas desenvolvida por Descartes nas Cartas, entre os anos de 1630 e 1649. Fazendo isso, tenta-se refutar interpretações segundo as quais a teoria da livre criação seria marginal ou incompatível com o sistema cartesiano. Para tanto, apresentaremos a concepção tomasiana da criação e a gradativa refutação cartesiana da mesma, donde emerge uma moderna teoria da criação, fundamento sine qua non da teoria da livre criação das verdades eternas.