Substantiality. The material universe contains substances, fragments (proper parts) of substances, and heaps of substances and fragments. Substances are more fundamental than fragments and heaps in three respects: (i) identity, (ii) existence, and (iii) nature. This rules out what I have called “faint-hearted hylomorphism,” along with any kind of microphysicalism. Hylomorphic composition goes all theContinue reading “Core Commitments of Hylomorphism”
Category Archives: Universals
Hylomorphism: An Overview
Hylomorphism is a research programme in metaphysics and philosophy of nature that has been undergoing a revival in recent years. The core ideas of the programme were developed by Aristotle, including the terms hylos (matter) and morphe (form). The programme has been under almost continuous development ever since, with major contributions by Simplicius, Plotinus, Avicenna,Continue reading “Hylomorphism: An Overview”
Five Theories of Predication
How can possibilists account for actuality as an absolute feature of some possible entities and not others? As we saw, we cannot treat actual existence as another accident or accident-like entity, since such entities would have to be included in all possible worlds, whether actual or not. Instead, the factor that explains something’s actuality willContinue reading “Five Theories of Predication”
Aquinas on Divine Simplicity
In the Question immediately following the Five Ways (Question 3), Thomas turns to establishing the simplicity of the First Cause. This simplicity consists of eight characteristics, corresponding to the eight articles of Question 3: Of these eight, it is characteristics 3 and 4 that are most central to Thomas’s natural theology, and most controversial. GodContinue reading “Aquinas on Divine Simplicity”
The Analytic Thomist 