Papers by Brian J Collins
Essays in Philosophy, 2013
It is widely accepted by commentators that Descartes believed in freedom of the will, but it is f... more It is widely accepted by commentators that Descartes believed in freedom of the will, but it is fiercely debated whether he accepted a libertarian or compatibilist notion of freedom. With this paper I argue that an examination of Descartes' conception of 'substance,' specifically his distinction between divine substance and created substance, is a fruitful source for the debate regarding Descartes on freedom of the will. I argue that the commentators who read Descartes as a libertarian are forced to focus on passages that emphasize the similarity between God and humans. This is problematic because Descartes is clear that there is a nonunivocality between God and humans concerning 'substance.' This non-univocality between God and humans puts a strain on the libertarian's focus. During the course of this argument I examine the passages frequently cited by commentators concerning Cartesian freedom and I make explicit the analogy between Descartes' view on substance and freedom. The upshot is that Descartes' considered account of substance is further evidence for the compatibilist reading.
It is widely accepted by commentators that Descartes believed in freedom of the will, but it is f... more It is widely accepted by commentators that Descartes believed in freedom of the will, but it is fiercely debated whether he accepted a libertarian or compatibilist notion of freedom. With this paper I argue that an examination of Descartes' conception of 'substance,' specifically his distinction between divine substance and created substance, is a fruitful source for the debate regarding Descartes on freedom of the will. I argue that the commentators who read Descartes as a libertarian are forced to focus on passages that emphasize the similarity between God and humans. This is problematic because Descartes is clear that there is a nonunivocality between God and humans concerning 'substance. ' This non-univocality between God and humans puts a strain on the libertarian's focus. During the course of this argument I examine the passages frequently cited by commentators concerning Cartesian freedom and I make explicit the analogy between Descartes' view on substance and freedom. The upshot is that Descartes' considered account of substance is further evidence for the compatibilist reading.
One of the debates regarding Ethics has to do with the prescriptions that Spinoza seemingly proje... more One of the debates regarding Ethics has to do with the prescriptions that Spinoza seemingly project and that these prescriptions are justified. Others think that he can only provide a description, not a prescription, of the somewhere between these two. With this paper I present and LeBuffe argues that Spinoza is prescribing and describing when he is talking about reason, emotions, good and bad, and the free man. The strength of this interpretation is in its ability to make the entirety of the Ethics intelligible and cohesive. I defend and by highlighting the seemingly contradictory nature of 82
Teaching Documents by Brian J Collins
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Papers by Brian J Collins
Teaching Documents by Brian J Collins