BONUS | Why there must be a First w/ Dr. Cohoe
Summary
What is an essentially ordered causal series? Why think essentially ordered causal series must have a first member? How can we ward off common misunderstandings regarding the first, second, and third ways of St. Thomas? Does the hand-stick-stone series really terminate in God? Dr. Caleb Cohoe joins us for a bonus episode to answer those questions and more.
Guest Bio
Dr. Caleb Cohoe is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Metropolitan State University of Denver. In 2012, he received his doctorate in Philosophy from Princeton University, where he was enrolled in the Program in Classical Philosophy. He works on ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, especially Aristotle, Plotinus, and Augustine, and their relevance for contemporary philosophy of religion. Also, he is interested in philosophy as a way of life and religious ways of life. He serves as one of the Lead Faculty Advisors for the Philosophy as a Way of Life Project, sponsored by Notre Dame and the Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Topics
- What got you interested in medieval philosophy and metaphysics?
- What are some common mistakes people make when dismissing Aquinas’ argument that causes could not regress to infinity?
- Why must essentially ordered causal series have a first member?
- What is Dr. Haldane’s helpful illustration?
- Does the hand-stick-stone series terminate in God? Might it not terminate in a mundane primary mover like a non-physical human mind?
- Would it be appropriate to thing of mereological compositions as essentially ordered series in some sense?
Resources
ccohoe.com (Dr. Caleb Cohoe’s personal website)
There Must Be a First: Why Aquinas Rejects Infinite, Essentially Ordered, Causal Series by Dr. Caleb Cohoe
Dr. Caleb Cohoe’s academia.edu page
God, Causality, and Petitionary Prayer by Dr. Caleb Cohoe
Related Episodes
Ep. #13 – The First Way Still Has Teeth
Ep. #14 –Does the Fifth Way Still Work? with Dr. Delfino
Ep. #27– Defending the 3rd Way with Dr. Delfino
