Medieval Approaches to Future Contingents

• Authors: Knuuttila Simo

Title variants

PL

ŚREDNIOWIECZNE UJĘCIA PROBLEMU PRZYSZŁYCH ZDARZEŃ PRZYGODNYCH

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper discusses the main lines of medieval Latin approaches to future contingents with some remarks on Marcin Tkaczyk’s paper “The antinomy of future contingent events.” Tkaczyk’s theory shows some similarity with the general frame of the views of Ockham and Scotus, the difference being that while medieval authors argued for the temporal necessity of the past, Tkaczyk is sceptical of the general validity of this necessity. Ockham’s theological view was that God eternally has an intuitive and immutable knowledge of all possibilities as well as whether they are ever actualized or not (PANACCIO & PICHÉ 2010). The content of God’s past knowledge attitude remains contingent before the free choice takes place because God’s knowledge could be different similarly as the truth-value of the proposition. While Ockham held that no past or present thing follows from future things as an effect follows from its cause, this causal link is defended by Tkaczyk. Later thinkers thought that the doctrine of the scientia media sheds light on this question; perhaps it is easier to understand than the retroactive model which is not contradictory but difficult to imagine, as Tkaczyk concludes his paper.

PL

Artykuł omawia główne średniowieczne ujęcia zagadnienia przyszłych zdarzeń przygodnych (futura contingentia) z kilkoma uwagami na temat artykułu Marcina Tkaczyka „The antinomy of future contingent events” [„Antynomia przyszłych zdarzeń przygodnych”]. Podejście Tkaczyka wykazuje pewne podobieństwo do ogólnego obrazu poglądów Ockhama i Dunsa Szkota, z tą różnicą, że chociaż średniowieczni autorzy argumentowali za czasową koniecznością przeszłości, Tkaczyk jest sceptyczny wobec ogólej obowiązywalności tej konieczności. Zgodnie z poglądami teologicznymi Ockhama Bóg wiecznie posiada intuicyjną i niezmienną wiedzę o wszystkich możli¬wościach, a także o tym, czy zostaną one kiedykolwiek zaktualizowane, czy też nie (PA¬NACCIO & PICHÉ 2010). Treść przedwiedzy Boga pozostaje przygodna, zanim dokona się wolny wybór, ponieważ wiedza Boga może być inna, podobnie jak wartość logiczna zdania dotyczącego tego wyboru. Podczas gdy Ockham utrzymywał, że zdarzenia przyszłe nie pociągają przeszłych ani teraźniejszych, jak przyczyna pociąga skutek, Tkaczyk broni takiego związku przyczyno¬wego. Późniejsi myśliciele sądzili, że światło na tę kwestię rzuca doktryna scientia media; być może jest ona łatwiejsza do zrozumienia niż model retroaktywny, który — jak konkulduje Tka¬czyk w swoim artykule — choć nie jest sprzeczny, jest trudny do wyobrażenia.

Keywords

EN

future contingents; scientia media; Boethius; Abelard; Aquinas; Scotus; Ockham

PL

przyszłe zdarzenia przygodne; scientia media; Boecjusz; Abelard; Akwinata; Duns Szkot; Ockham

• Publisher: Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II. Towarzystwo Naukowe KUL
• Journal: Roczniki Filozoficzne
• Year: 2018
• Volume: 66
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 99-114

Dates

published

2018-11-04

Contributors

author

Knuuttila Simo

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Identifiers

DOI

10.18290/rf.2018.66.4-5en