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37James Beattie, Practical Ethics, and the Human Nature QuestionJournal of Scottish Philosophy 10 (1): 1-12. 2012.This article begins by examining James Beattie's conception of speculative ethics, which he regards as the study of the foundation and nature of virtue. This leads to a discussion of the moral sense, or conscience, which Beattie claims is part of the nature of every rational being and which is designed to lead us to a virtuous life. Given this, I ask why Beattie thought himself warranted, or even needed, to dispense practical ethical advice. Answering this involves looking at Beattie's views on …Read more
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187François lamy, occasionalism, and the mind-body problemJournal of the History of Philosophy 46 (4). 2008.There is a long-standing view that Malebranche and his fellow occasionalists accepted occasionalism to solve the problem of interaction between immaterial souls and extended bodies. Recently, however, scholars have shown this story to be a myth. Malebranche, Geulincx, La Forge, and Cordemoy adopted occasionalism for a variety of reasons, but none did so because of a need to provide a solution to a perceived mind-body problem. Yet there is one Cartesian for whom the “traditional” reading is large…Read more
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20Absolute beginners: learning philosophy by learning Descartes and Berkeley: C. G. Prado: Starting with Descartes. London & New York: Continuum, 2009. vi +170 pp, US$ 19.95 PB Nick Jones: Starting with Berkeley. London & New York: Continuum, 2009. viii +191 pp, US$ 19.95 PB (review)Metascience 19 (3): 385-389. 2010.
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43Yolton, John W. Perception and Reality: A History from Descartes to Kant (review)Review of Metaphysics 50 (4): 928-929. 1997.
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41Hutcheson, Perception, and the Sceptic's ChallengeBritish Journal for the History of Philosophy 20 (2): 269-281. 2012.Francis Hutcheson's theory of perception, as put forth in his Synopsis of Metaphysics, bears a striking similarity to that of John Locke. In particular, Hutcheson and Locke both have at the centre of their theories the notion of ideas as representational entities acting as the direct objects of all of our perceptions. On first consideration, one might find this similarity wholly unremarkable, given the popularity of Locke's Essay. But the Essay was published in 1689 and the Synopsis in 1742, and…Read more
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75Causality and Human Freedom in MalebranchePhilosophy and Theology 9 (3-4): 321-331. 1996.In that it holds God to be the only true efficient cause, Malebranche’s occasionalism would seem to deny human freedom and to make God responsible for our sins. I argue that Malebranche’s occasionalism must be considered within its Cartesian framework; once one understands what it is to be an occasional cause in this context, Malebranche can be seen as saving a place for human freedom, and he can consistently hold that we are morally responsible for our actions.
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96Retroactive identity ascriptions, empty questions, and intrinsic relationsThink 7 (20): 93-96. 2008.If a statue and lump of clay have the same life-histories, are they numerically identical?
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16Knowing our nature: A note on Régis’ response to MalebrancheHistory of European Ideas 33 (2): 135-141. 2007.Nicolas Malebranche was the first Cartesian philosopher to challenge Descartes’ claim that we are capable of possessing a clear and distinct understanding of the soul's nature. Other Cartesians, including Clauberg, La Forge, and Cordemoy, accepted without question the conclusion of the Second Meditation that the nature of the soul is better known than is the nature of body. After presenting an overview of Malebranche's argument, this note turns to the Cartesian philosopher Pierre-Sylvain Régis. …Read more