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    A purely nobility-based account collapses the distinction... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→The different velocities of celestial spheres are caused by differences in nobility between mover and movable, not by resistance or violence.

    A purely nobility-based account collapses the distinction between efficient and formal causation, making it unclear how the superior nature of the mover produces a specific finite velocity rather than instantaneous motion.

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    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Formal causation explains *what* moves (the form imparted), but efficient causation explains *how* motion originates. Noble natures alone cannot bridge this explanatory gap.
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    • 2.If nobility alone sufficed, all noble movers would produce identical effects. Yet finite velocities vary despite comparable noble natures, requiring additional efficient principles.
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    • 3.Instantaneous causation is characteristic of formal/material relationships, not agent causation. The resistance to infinite velocity suggests efficient causation operating distinctly from form.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.The distinction between efficient and formal causation may be conceptual rather than ontological. A unified account of causation doesn't require collapsing real distinctions.
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    • 2.Finite velocity could derive from the noble nature's inherent limitation without needing separate efficient causation. Nobility determines effect-type and magnitude naturally.
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    • 3.The objection assumes instantaneous motion is the default for perfect causes. But perfect causes might necessarily produce finite, determinate effects by their very nature.
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    Key Terms

    efficient causation(as used in metaphysics)
    The idea that one thing directly causes another to happen through action or force—like how pushing a ball makes it roll.
    finite velocity(as used in physics and metaphysics)
    A limited, measurable speed—as opposed to infinite or instantaneous speed.
    formal causation(as used in metaphysics)
    The idea that something's essence, form, or structure is what explains why it behaves the way it does—like how water's nature as H2O explains why it freezes at certain temperatures.
    instantaneous motion(as used in physics and metaphysics)
    Movement that happens all at once with no time passing, rather than gradually over a period of time.
    mover(as used in physics and metaphysics)
    In philosophy, something that causes motion or change in something else.
    nobility-based account(as used in metaphysics and causation)
    A theory that explains how things work by focusing on the inherent quality or superiority of something, rather than on the actual mechanisms or processes involved.

    Connections

    2 topics

    Causation1 linkedDivine Attributes1 linked

    Related

    Finite velocity could derive from the noble nature's inherent limitation without...Formal causation explains *what* moves (the form imparted), but efficient causat...

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit
    If nobility alone sufficed, all noble movers would produce identical effects. Ye...
    Instantaneous causation is characteristic of formal/material relationships, not ...
    +3 moreShow less
    The different velocities of celestial spheres are caused by differences in nobil...The distinction between efficient and formal causation may be conceptual rather ...The objection assumes instantaneous motion is the default for perfect causes. Bu...