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Causality in Zimmerman's philosophic thought with particular regard to Hume's and Kant's view
Ivan Tadić
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu, Split, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The author begins with a brief survey of the understanding of causality in Western philosophic thought, beginning with the very first philosophers who sought out this principle, then Plato and Aristotle, followed by scholastic and modern philosophy with special reference to Hume's and Kant's thought. Hume's objections and Kant's interpretation incited some philosophers to approach the causality principle within the framework of Kant's differentiation of analytic and synthetic propositions, while others tried to reduce it to the principle of noncontradiction, and others still sought its foothold in the principle of sufficient reason. Furthermore, we are presented with Hume's and Kant's understanding of the principle of causality, as well as Zimmerman's interpretation and evaluation of their views.
Contrary to Hume, he believes that the cause and effect relationship is not only a temporal sequence but also involves a dynamic relation, and that the principle of causality has an objective value in addition to being a psychological- experiential relation of perceived facts. It is not a reflection of our habits but rather belongs to reality itself. Contrary to Kant, he claims that causality is not an apriori concept of the mind, that it does not only belong to phenomena, but also to reality itself having both objective and transcendental value. Some opinions of Zimmermann's contemporaries have been presented and also his evaluation thereof.
Finally the author puts forth Zimmermann's argumentation of the causality principle which commences in the perception of causality in experience; this is followed by an analysis both of that which is changeable and of that which comes into being, i.e. of contingent being, after which the author concludes that these changes point to an external cause. Namely, for every change, for every coming into being, for every contingent being, undetermined in regard to being or not being, there must be a reason. Therein sees Zimmermann the foundation and explanation for the objective and absolute value of the principles which he utilizes in his argumentation of the extraconscious, transcendent or metaphysical reality, that is to say, of the world and of God. For him the principle of causality serves as a foothold for the gnoseology, theodicy and philosophy of critical realism that he stands for.
Ključne riječi
cause; principle of causality; effect; change; coming into being; contingent being; reason; experience; necessarily; objectively
Hrčak ID:
1219
URI
Datum izdavanja:
3.12.2003.
Posjeta: 1.726 *