Quote:
Originally Posted by boxcar
I wasn't going to "fight for intentionality in nature to support the existence of final causes" for two reasons: A) I did that previously many moons ago by taking an example or two out of Feser's book; and B) virtually all who subscribe to Materialism as a world view will never admit to the existence of the Four Causes, [b]even though, as Feser correctly pointed out, we all know intuitively these causes exists. Only the Hcaps, Actors,Hanks and TJ's, etc. can deny with a straight face that the nature all life itself is goal-directedness. All is done for a purpose. But I will not waste my time arguing with the simple-minded.
And just because man is a union of matter and non-matter, doesn't imply that the two components can't function very differently. In fact, they not only function differently, but the two components complement each other! I would remind you of the Trinity -- the triune God who is One; yet Father, Son and Holy Spirit have different functions. "I and the Father are One" -- BUT also -- "...the Father is greater than I", etc.
P.S. It just occurred to me that since you're read Feser's "The Last Superstition", you must know that he firmly believed that effects often occur in intellect prior to causes. You do agree with him, yes?
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Sorry, but the "function" of your memory, within the mind, has retrieved something from the past. YOU remain in the present. The
nature of man, as union of matter/spirit we would state, explains what he is capable of--thinking about the past while firmly planted, e.g. The alternatives are to be a disembodied spirit--I hope you're not there yet--or an eliminative materialist ("Alex Rosenberg, call your office"), where your mental journeys, and everything else that can't be quantified, is an illusion.
The Trinity analogy is an anthropomorphic metaphor, sanctioned by Christ and used by Paul, et.al., to enable us to retain the sense of three Persons possessing one nature. The theological word is "appropriation" to designate "functions" for our benefit. There is no "function" of the Divine Persons whereby their starting times are staggered. Each wholly possesses the Divine Nature in their Person. Of course Christ alone is "Redeemer" in the sense of his human nature.
I would encourage you to put down "triunity"--finding "3" in the natural world--and pick up Frank Sheed (
Theology and Sanity) for a discussion of the inner life of the Trinity and how it relates to God's external operations.
