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    The First's essence is identical with that by which the F... — Carmelics
    Home/Divine Attributes
    HistoryEditSee Inverse

    The First's essence is identical with that by which the First causes the existence of other things

    Divine AttributesProof of definition segments
    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.The First is not divided into two things such that one part substantiates its essence and another part causes other things to arise from it
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    • 2.The First does not require an accident or motion in itself in order for something else to arise from it
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    • 3.The First does not require anything other than its essence — no accident, motion, external instrument, or material substrate — to produce an effect
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.A cause and its effect must be really distinct, since the same entity cannot simultaneously be both the ground of itself and the ground of another without a real relational difference.
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    • 2.If the First's essence just is its causal power, then the First is essentially relative to creatures, making divine simplicity dependent on the existence of a contingent world.
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    • 3.Aquinas's real distinction between esse and essentia in creatures presupposes a corresponding real distinction in God between what God is and what God does, contra al-Farabi's identity thesis.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
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    • 1.Duns Scotus argued that formal distinctions obtain within a simple being, meaning causal and essential attributes can be formally distinct without introducing composition.
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    • 2.If no formal distinction separates the First's essence from its causal activity, then the First's causal relations to radically different effects are inexplicable by appeal to essence alone.
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    Divine AttributesProof of definition segments

    Related

    A cause and its effect must be really distinct, since the same entity cannot sim...Aquinas's real distinction between esse and essentia in creatures presupposes a ...Duns Scotus argued that formal distinctions obtain within a simple being, meanin...If no formal distinction separates the First's essence from its causal activity,...
    +4 moreShow less
    If the First's essence just is its causal power, then the First is essentially r...The First does not require an accident or motion in itself in order for somethin...The First does not require anything other than its essence — no accident, motion...The First is not divided into two things such that one part substantiates its es...

    Similar

    God's nature or essence is identical to his existence.87%What is understood of essence is also understood of existence, and vic...85%It is true that God exists in all metaphysically possible worlds, but ...85%In God essence and existence are the same (divine simplicity).84%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: al-farabi-metaphysics
    View source passageHide passage
    but he gives no argument that the First’s existence entails the existence of other things. Rather, he seems to rely on the argument that since other things in fact exist, their existence must ultimately be caused by the First; his main concern is not to show that the First causes the existence of other things, but to show how it causes the existence of other things, and in particular to show that that by which the First causes the existence of other things is identical with its essence, just as
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit