Occasionalism and the Debate about Causation in Early Modern Germany

ISBN-13: 9781032710419 / Twarda / 2024 / 224 str.

Canada) Henkel Christian (University of Montreal

Opis

This is the first book to focus on occasionalism in early modern German philosophy. It demonstrates that occasionalism provided a strong foundation for the thought of four important yet underexamined German philosophers: Erhard Weigel, Johann Christoph Sturm, Christian Wolff, and Gottfried Ploucquet.

Recenzje

“For a long time, early modern Germany remained a foggy land. Only a few towering peaks—Leibniz, Wolff, Kant—could be discerned. Today, new light is lifting the fog and we are discovering a much more complex and diverse landscape. By drawing attention to the vibrancy of early modern German debates about causation and the spread of occasionalism, Henkel's book contributes to this change of perspective. It is an exciting story that has been waiting to be told.”

 

Andrea Sangiacomo, Groningen University, The Netherlands

 

“This book fills an important gap in our understanding of early modern causation and occasionalism. Henkel’s clear and authoritative work will serve as an essential guide to those interested in the tradition of occasionalism as it evolved in the important era from Leibniz to Kant.”  

 

Jeffrey K. McDonough, Harvard University, USA

Spis treści

Introduction  1. Erhard Weigel. Continuous Creation, Discontinuous Time, and Occasionalism  2. Johann Christoph Sturm. Mechanism, Occasionalism, and Final Causes  3. Christian Wolff. Mind-body Interaction, Language, and Occasionalism  4. Gottfried Ploucquet. Occasionalism and the Grounding of Sense-Perception  Conclusion  Appendix: Biographical Sketches

O autorze

Christian Henkel is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Montreal, Canada. His work focuses on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century metaphysics and natural philosophy. His published work has appeared in the British Journal for the History of Philosophy and Early Science and Medicine.