MALEBRANCHE

A. WE SEE ALL THINGS IN GOD

1. Ideas

Rejection of direct realism

Advocacy of representative realism

2. Objects emit species which we perceive

Crit: the species particles themselves must be physical. However, at the same time, we must concede that they all are reduced to the size of a tiny (perhaps infinitely small) point

At any point in space, we can see an infinite number of objects

Crit: the same object produces species of different sizes depending on how close we are to the object

Hard to see how this can be done in an instant

Crit: the same species must be emitted by the different objects, yet we perceive them differently

e.g. the side of a real cube and a picture of a parallelogram

3. The soul itself produces ideas

Objects make some kind of impression on our senses, and from these impressions we by ourselves form the ideas which represent the object

Since the initial impression does not resemble the object, then we ourselves have the power to create the idea which does resemble the object

Motivated by vanity

Crit: ideas are spiritual in nature, and we are ascribing to ourselves the power of creating something spiritual out of nothing

People don't reflect on this problem since they think that ideas are nothing, or very base

e.g. we can't make an angel from stone since they are of a different sort

Even if we did have the power to create something from nothing, we still could not create an idea of an object

This would require some prior access to that object to accurately depict it

Perhaps we naturally have some kind of confused ideas of things, and it is from these confused ideas that we develop the more distinct ideas which more accurately resemble the original object

Thus, we do not actually create or accurate ideas

Crit: the naturally implanted idea would have to be distinct, otherwise it would be useless; and if the naturally implanted idea was distinct, we would not need to develop another idea from it

Perhaps we conceive of something, such as a square, through our pure intellect, and then develop a visual image of it through our imagination

Crit: The imagined image is not an exact copy of the first

Our tendency to ascribe false causes has people erroneously believe that the human mind has the power to create ideas

People observe that when they will to think about a certain idea, such as the idea of an elephant, then the image of an elephant appears.

The act of willing and the emergence of the idea are correlated

They erroneously assume that the will causes the idea

This explains superstitions as well as why we see external objects as the causes of our ideas, and physical objects as the true causes of physical events

4. All ideas were innately implanted in our minds when we were created, and we merely recall them

This would require an infinite number ideas, each with an infinite number of variations

Crit: God acts in the easiest way, and this is not the easiest way

Crit: can't explain why the soul picks out a given idea to represent a given object when we look at it

5. The human soul is of such a superior nature, that it contains within itself the spiritual nature of external things themselves (which are inferior)

Ideas of external things, then, are copies of the spiritual nature of those things as they exist within our own souls

Crit: vanity inclines us to hold this view

This theory can only apply to God insofar as God created the external world

As creator, God made the world based on a set of ideas he had of all the world’s creatures and objects

These ideas are part of God's nature, and, thus, God sees within himself the existence and nature of all the things he created

Humans are limited, and we do not contain within ourselves the existence and nature of all things

e.g. we perceive infinity, but don't comprehend it

The ideas we have of external things clearly depend on something other than ourselves

First, ideas of things do not depend on our wills

Second, when we have hallucinations, these don't even correspond to anything real

6. Final view: we see all things in God

We obtain ideas of external things from God who discloses them to us as he sees fit

Rests on the contention that spiritual entities reside in God

As creator, God must have the ideas or blueprints of all things.

All souls dwell within God.

Efficiency argument

God did not implant them in us innately, since this would be inefficient

e.g. all things in nature are created from matter (extension) alone

Doesn't mean that we can see God's nature itself

God's nature is simple, and the ideas of things we see in God are complex

Sovereignty argument

We are completely dependent on God to see such ideas

We can't see them unless he shows them to us

Abstract idea argument

We cannot conceive of universal abstract ideas unless we saw all beings included in one, which we as humans cannot do on our own accord

God can direct the mind in a wide range of different manners

We access these ideas through God

Proof of God

We have a concept of infinite being

We do not comprehend "infinite being" in the way in which ideas copy objects

Our comprehension of infinite being results from a union or direct acquaintance with God himself

Therefore, God exists

We arrive at the idea of finite being by reducing our notion of infinite being

All things are for God's purpose

Since God creates all things for his on purpose, then as human creatures we cannot perceive anything without seeing God in those things

This is just as all our love (or desire) is directed toward God

This is especially so with universal truths

e.g. math, morality

When we see these ideas, we see God

The different kinds of ideas we see in God

Ideas of necessary truths (abstract ideas): comes from a union or direct acquaintance with God (or to the word of God)

Ideas of moral truths: God continually presents us with his will, and we try to make our like his

Both of these abilities make us created in God's image

Conclusion:

This is the most probable of all the theories of how we acquire ideas of objects. This makes God actively involved in all causal relations which we are part of

B. OCCASIONALISM

1. Ancient philosophy's conception of causal power

2. God is the true cause, nature is the occasional cause

(a) Only physical bodies and spirits exist

(b) Physical bodies cannot causally move things themselves

(d) Finite minds cannot causally move things

(e) God, who is infinitely perfect, can causally move things.

(f) Therefore, only God can causally move things

3. God is also the true cause of human bodily motion

We are not the true cause of moving our arms since we do not understand how this is done

It is also incomprehensible that we should be the true cause of moving our arms since we see no necessary connection between our will and our movement

But there is a necessary connection between God as cause, and such movement

God's power is his will

God would not give us (or an angel) that kind of power to be the true cause

This would involve two wills: God's and the angels

Only God's will has the necessary connection

Thus the angel's will would only be occasional