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Single Idea 20700

[filed under theme 17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 4. Occasionalism ]

Full Idea

If God's divine influence stopped, every operation would stop. Every operation, therefore, of everything is traced back to him as cause.

Gist of Idea

Without God's influence every operation would stop, so God causes everything

Source

Thomas Aquinas (Summa Contra Gentiles [1268], III.67), quoted by Brian Davies - Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion 3 'Freedom'

Book Ref

Davies,Brian: 'An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion' [OUP 1993], p.42

A Reaction

If the systematic interraction of mind and body counts as an 'operation', then this seems to imply Occasionalism.

The 5 ideas with the same theme [a third force (God) co-ordinates mind and matter]:

20700 Without God's influence every operation would stop, so God causes everything [Aquinas]
5025 Mind and body can't influence one another, but God wouldn't intervene in the daily routine [Leibniz]
7564 Occasionalism give a false view of natural laws, miracles, and substances [Leibniz, by Jolley]
11944 Rule occasionalism says God's actions follow laws, not miracles [Molnar]
19380 Occasionalism contradicts the Eucharist, which needs genuine changes of substance [Arthur,R]