Efficient Cause as Paradigm? From Suárez to Clauberg

This paper critiques a narrative concerning causality in later scholasticism due to, among others, Des Chene (1996), Carraud (2002), Schmaltz (2008), Schmid (2010), and Pasnau (2011). On this account, internal developments in the scholastic tradition culminating in Suárez lead to the efficient cause...

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Main Author: Nabeel Hamid
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Aperio 2021-12-01
Series:Journal of Modern Philosophy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://jmphil.org/article/id/1997/
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author Nabeel Hamid
author_facet Nabeel Hamid
author_sort Nabeel Hamid
collection DOAJ
description This paper critiques a narrative concerning causality in later scholasticism due to, among others, Des Chene (1996), Carraud (2002), Schmaltz (2008), Schmid (2010), and Pasnau (2011). On this account, internal developments in the scholastic tradition culminating in Suárez lead to the efficient cause being regarded as the paradigmatic kind of cause, anticipating a view explicitly held by the Cartesians. Focusing on Suárez and his scholastic reception, I defend the following claims: a) Suárez’s definition of cause does not privilege efficient causation; b) Suárez’s readers, from Timpler to Arriaga, did not interpret him as privileging efficient causation; c) it is only much later, in Clauberg, that we find a narrowing of the meaning of causation to efficient causal action; but d) this shift is better explained by Clauberg’s rejection of substance hylomorphism in favor of Descartes’s doctrine of substance, rather than by any troubles within the Aristotelian causal framework.
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spelling doaj-art-60f24e2f99ee4a4d864f99a6d50a8d552025-01-31T16:08:15ZengAperioJournal of Modern Philosophy2644-06522021-12-013010.25894/jmp.1997Efficient Cause as Paradigm? From Suárez to ClaubergNabeel Hamid0Concordia UniversityThis paper critiques a narrative concerning causality in later scholasticism due to, among others, Des Chene (1996), Carraud (2002), Schmaltz (2008), Schmid (2010), and Pasnau (2011). On this account, internal developments in the scholastic tradition culminating in Suárez lead to the efficient cause being regarded as the paradigmatic kind of cause, anticipating a view explicitly held by the Cartesians. Focusing on Suárez and his scholastic reception, I defend the following claims: a) Suárez’s definition of cause does not privilege efficient causation; b) Suárez’s readers, from Timpler to Arriaga, did not interpret him as privileging efficient causation; c) it is only much later, in Clauberg, that we find a narrowing of the meaning of causation to efficient causal action; but d) this shift is better explained by Clauberg’s rejection of substance hylomorphism in favor of Descartes’s doctrine of substance, rather than by any troubles within the Aristotelian causal framework.https://jmphil.org/article/id/1997/early modern scholasticismSuárezcausationefficient causeCartesian scholasticism
spellingShingle Nabeel Hamid
Efficient Cause as Paradigm? From Suárez to Clauberg
Journal of Modern Philosophy
early modern scholasticism
Suárez
causation
efficient cause
Cartesian scholasticism
title Efficient Cause as Paradigm? From Suárez to Clauberg
title_full Efficient Cause as Paradigm? From Suárez to Clauberg
title_fullStr Efficient Cause as Paradigm? From Suárez to Clauberg
title_full_unstemmed Efficient Cause as Paradigm? From Suárez to Clauberg
title_short Efficient Cause as Paradigm? From Suárez to Clauberg
title_sort efficient cause as paradigm from suarez to clauberg
topic early modern scholasticism
Suárez
causation
efficient cause
Cartesian scholasticism
url https://jmphil.org/article/id/1997/
work_keys_str_mv AT nabeelhamid efficientcauseasparadigmfromsuareztoclauberg