Combining Texts

Ideas for 'works', 'Metaphysical conseqs of principle of reason' and 'talk'

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     choose another area for these texts

display all the ideas for this combination of texts


3 ideas

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 3. Final causes
Power rules in efficient causes, but wisdom rules in connecting them to final causes [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: In all of nature efficient causes correspond to final causes, because everything proceeds from a cause which is not only powerful, but wise; and with the rule of power through efficient causes, there is involved the rule of wisdom through final causes.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Metaphysical conseqs of principle of reason [1712], §5)
     A reaction: Nowadays this carrot-and-stick view of causation is unfashionable, but I won't rule it out. The deepest 'why?' we can ask won't just go away. This unity by a divine mind strikes me as too simple, but Leibniz is right to try to unify Aristotelian causes.
26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / a. Constant conjunction
Causation - we all thought we knew it/ Till Hume came along and saw through it/…. [Sommers,W]
     Full Idea: Causation - we all thought we knew it / Till Hume came along and saw through it / We notice that A / Follows B every day / And frankly that's all there is to it.
     From: Will Sommers (talk [2019])
Cries the maid: 'You must marry me Hume!'... [Sommers,W]
     Full Idea: Cries the maid: 'You must marry me Hume!'/ A statement that made David fume./ He said: 'In cause and effect,/ There is a defect;/ That it's mine you can only assume.' [P.W.R. Foot]
     From: Will Sommers (talk [2019])