Charles Johnson
Puritan Board Junior
Given our extensive discussion about theories of universals (Thomist, Scotist; Realist, Nominalist) a couple months ago, I thought I would share this quote I came across today from Arnoldus Senguerdius, who was a philosophy professor at the University of Utrecht in the 17th century, and was Gisbertus Voetius's recommended author on metaphysics.
He writes,
"Universal unity is not real; rather, it pertains to reason alone, so that it does not exist in things before and without the operation of the mind. For whatever immediately exists on the part of a thing is singular. The most high God is singular and individual by himself and in his essence. Creatures which exist are not separate from their individuating differences, by which they are rendered individual and particular." (Idea metaphysicae p. 30)
That's a pretty clear affirmation of a Scotist or nominalist view of universals from one of the standard Reformed metaphysics texts of the day. And he expressly criticizes Thomism a couple pages before in regards to his theory of the principal of individuation and universals.
Add this to the growing body of evidence that the 17th century Reformed were neither Thomist nor realist, or at least many of them were not (I pointed out in the last thread that Martin Schouck takes a similar position to Senguerdius here.)
He writes,
"Universal unity is not real; rather, it pertains to reason alone, so that it does not exist in things before and without the operation of the mind. For whatever immediately exists on the part of a thing is singular. The most high God is singular and individual by himself and in his essence. Creatures which exist are not separate from their individuating differences, by which they are rendered individual and particular." (Idea metaphysicae p. 30)
That's a pretty clear affirmation of a Scotist or nominalist view of universals from one of the standard Reformed metaphysics texts of the day. And he expressly criticizes Thomism a couple pages before in regards to his theory of the principal of individuation and universals.
Add this to the growing body of evidence that the 17th century Reformed were neither Thomist nor realist, or at least many of them were not (I pointed out in the last thread that Martin Schouck takes a similar position to Senguerdius here.)
