Descartes on Modality and the Eternal Truths
Descartes maintained that God freely created all eternal truths. Yet, while it is impossible for necessary truths to have been otherwise, if they are a matter of God’s free choice, then it seems that they could have been otherwise. Adrian W. Moore (2020) offers a solution to this conflict that, he...
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University of Bucharest
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Public Reason |
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| Online Access: | https://www.publicreason.ro/pdfa/158 |
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| author | Sarah Patterson |
| author_facet | Sarah Patterson |
| author_sort | Sarah Patterson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Descartes maintained that God freely created all eternal truths. Yet, while it is
impossible for necessary truths to have been otherwise, if they are a matter of God’s free choice, then it seems that they could have been otherwise. Adrian W. Moore (2020) offers
a solution to this conflict that, he claims, Descartes “could and should” have adopted. This
article argues that Descartes’s position is in a sense closer to Moore’s solution than Moore
permits, yet proposes an arguably more accurate account via the Cartesian relationship
between omnipotence, indifference, and the dependence of the eternal truths on God.
Omnipotence and indifference do not express that God might have created the necessary
truths in another way, but rather that God’s decrees are in no way determined by anything
other than God. Thus, alternative possibilities are not relevant to this account, since there
were none before God’s creative act. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9a6fa90b142542ac92c907058ee9eafe |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2065-7285 2065-8958 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | University of Bucharest |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Reason |
| spelling | doaj-art-9a6fa90b142542ac92c907058ee9eafe2025-02-10T14:47:01ZengUniversity of BucharestPublic Reason2065-72852065-89582022-03-0113(2)-14(1)13(2)-14(1)1125Descartes on Modality and the Eternal TruthsSarah Patterson0Birkbeck University of LondonDescartes maintained that God freely created all eternal truths. Yet, while it is impossible for necessary truths to have been otherwise, if they are a matter of God’s free choice, then it seems that they could have been otherwise. Adrian W. Moore (2020) offers a solution to this conflict that, he claims, Descartes “could and should” have adopted. This article argues that Descartes’s position is in a sense closer to Moore’s solution than Moore permits, yet proposes an arguably more accurate account via the Cartesian relationship between omnipotence, indifference, and the dependence of the eternal truths on God. Omnipotence and indifference do not express that God might have created the necessary truths in another way, but rather that God’s decrees are in no way determined by anything other than God. Thus, alternative possibilities are not relevant to this account, since there were none before God’s creative act.https://www.publicreason.ro/pdfa/158descartesgodeternal truthscreation doctrinemodalityindifferenceomnipotenceessencearithmeticaquinasadrian w. moore. |
| spellingShingle | Sarah Patterson Descartes on Modality and the Eternal Truths Public Reason descartes god eternal truths creation doctrine modality indifference omnipotence essence arithmetic aquinas adrian w. moore. |
| title | Descartes on Modality and the Eternal Truths |
| title_full | Descartes on Modality and the Eternal Truths |
| title_fullStr | Descartes on Modality and the Eternal Truths |
| title_full_unstemmed | Descartes on Modality and the Eternal Truths |
| title_short | Descartes on Modality and the Eternal Truths |
| title_sort | descartes on modality and the eternal truths |
| topic | descartes god eternal truths creation doctrine modality indifference omnipotence essence arithmetic aquinas adrian w. moore. |
| url | https://www.publicreason.ro/pdfa/158 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sarahpatterson descartesonmodalityandtheeternaltruths |