Divine premotion

Oderberg, D. S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9585-0515 (2016) Divine premotion. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 794 (3). pp. 207-222. ISSN 1572-8684 doi: 10.1007/s11153-015-9536-z

Abstract/Summary

According to divine premotionism, God does not merely create and sustain the universe. He also moves all secondary causes to action as instruments without undermining their intrinsic causal efficacy. I explain and uphold the premotionist theory, which is the theory of St Thomas Aquinas and his most prominent exponents. I defend the premotionist interpretation of Aquinas in some textual detail, with particular reference to Suarez and to a recent paper by Louis Mancha. Critics, including Molinists and Suarezians, raise various objections to the view that premotion is compatible with genuine secondary causation. I rebut a number of these objections, in the course of which I respond to the central challenge that premotionism destroys free will. I also offer a number of positive reasons for embracing the premotionist theory.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/45787
Identification Number/DOI	10.1007/s11153-015-9536-z
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Humanities > Philosophy
Publisher	Springer
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