Brian T Carl

University of St. Thomas, Houston, Center for Thomistic Studies, Faculty Member

Followers

308

Following

171

Co-authors

Public Views

I am associate professor of philosophy in the Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. I work primarily on medieval philosophical theology, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.
Supervisors: John F. Wippel

less

Related Authors

Gilles Emery

University of Fribourg

Ave Maria University

Ave Maria University

St. Thomas University, Florida

Sam Tukidia

Nathaniel Dreyer

ATENEO PONTIFICIO REGINA APOSTOLORUM

Joseph Bolin

International Theological Institute: Catholic School of Theology

Interests

Uploads

all
5 Papers
1 Books
1 Drafts

Papers by Brian T Carl

Thomas Aquinas on the Proportionate Causes of Living Species

Scientia et Fides, 2020

The principle of proportionate causality is often cited as a cause for concern that Thomistic met... more The principle of proportionate causality is often cited as a cause for concern that Thomistic metaphysics may be irreconcilable with a theory of biological evolution. St. Thomas does hold that for the generation of what he calls perfect animals, a generator of the same species is required. This study clarifies what the proportionate causes of generated organisms are for Thomas, examining his views about spontaneous generation, reproductive generation, and hybridization, while also articulating the roles of both the heavenly bodies and their separate movers as universal causes of generation. This study establishes that Thomas's assertion of the need for a univocal generator for perfect animals is grounded not in the principle of proportionate causality, but rather in physical and biological doctrines received from Aristotle and in a causal principle that seems reconcilable with biological evolution, namely, that a remote universal cause requires more mediating causes to produce more powerful effects.

format_quoteNew species can emerge post-creation if they originate from the active powers of existing beings, according to Thomas.format_quote

downloadDownload free PDF

Action, Supposit, and Subject: Interpreting Actiones Sunt Suppositorum

Nova et Vetera (English), 2019

The claim that "actions are of supposits" appears numerous times, in this and other formulations,... more The claim that "actions are of supposits" appears numerous times, in this and other formulations, in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. 1 Interpreters of Aquinas cite this thesis in discussions of Aquinas's cognitive theory, his account of personal identity (including in the recent dispute between survivalism and corruptionism), and his Christology. 2 Alain de Libera, in his work 1 I offer my gratitude to Kendall Fisher and Francis Feingold for helpful remarks on a draft of this paper. Special thanks are due to Therese Scarpelli Cory for suggesting numerous sources and for remarks on an early draft. My thanks also to Daniel

downloadDownload free PDF

“Definition: Theism” (with Brian Carl, Mark F. Johnson and Francisco Romero)

by Twetten David and Brian T Carl

In Graham Oppy and Joseph Koterski (eds), Theism and Atheism: Opposing Viewpoints in Philosophy, pp. 1-18. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale.

This chapter discusses how theism and atheism are best defined, primarily as a function of what "... more This chapter discusses how theism and atheism are best defined, primarily as a function of what "God" or "god" means. It sets out the range of meanings that "god" and "God" can have in different argumentative contexts, suggesting that proofs for God's existence need not immediately conclude to the existence of a being with personal or omni-attributes. It also explores the notions of analogy and apophaticism, given that these themes condition the way many theists understand the affirmation that God exists. The chapter thereby offers principles that should govern the proper use of words in theism versus atheism debates.

format_quoteClassical theism describes a consensus on God's attributes across various religions, yet it admits significant intra- and inter-religious disagreements about their nature.format_quote

downloadDownload free PDF

The Formal Constituent of the Divine Nature in Peter Ledesma, John of St. Thomas, and Vincent Contenson

Throughout his career, St. Thomas Aquinas appeals to Zachariah 14:9 to contrast the knowledge of ... more Throughout his career, St. Thomas Aquinas appeals to Zachariah 14:9 to contrast the knowledge of God's essence in statu viae with the knowledge of that essence enjoyed by the blessed: "In that day, the Lord will be one, and His name will be one." 1 For Aquinas, the multiplicity of the divine names is a necessary feature of human knowledge of God in this life, to be contrasted with the unified vision of the divine essence in the life to come. God is named as He is known, and He is known to us in this life through the created perfections that are His effects. Likeness of the simple, infinite divine perfection cannot be communicated to finite creatures except in multiplicity, and so to the multiplicity of created perfections there corresponds a necessary multiplicity of divine names. And yet, among the names given to God in this life, Aquinas privileges the name revealed in Exodus 3:14, identifying qui est as the most proper name of God. The propriety of qui est as a divine name within Aquinas's theology is linked to the centrality of esse within his metaphysics: qui est is the most proper divine name, Aquinas explains, because it signifies existence, and in God alone essence and existence are identical. 2 But what is the relationship between qui est (or ipsum esse) and other divine names, which are all in some way less proper?

format_quoteAquinas's term 'qui est' indicates that God's essence and existence are identical, making it the central divine name in Thomistic theology.format_quote

downloadDownload free PDF

The Transcendentals and the Divine Names in Thomas Aquinas

Interpreters of Aquinas tend to posit a seamless transition from knowledge of the transcendentals... more Interpreters of Aquinas tend to posit a seamless transition from knowledge of the transcendentals in the abstract to naming God as one, true, and good. Some even suggest that the convertibility of the transcendentals with being implies the unity, truth, and goodness of esse divinum. Others hold simply that the meaning and order of these divine names is founded upon the meaning of the transcendentals. This study: (1) explains why Aquinas avoids " transcendental arguments " for these divine names; (2) argues that truth and goodness, as divine names, are derived not only from the transcendental meanings of these terms but also from specific perfections, namely, truth of intellect and moral goodness; (3) shows that the order of these divine names in the two Summae (being, good, one, true) better reflects the order of the transcendentals as received perfections than their more familiar order in the abstract (being, one, true, good).

format_quoteAquinas never employs transcendental arguments for divine attributes, contrary to common interpretation, revealing a nuanced approach to divine naming.format_quote

downloadDownload free PDF

Books by Brian T Carl

Consciousness and Self-Knowledge in Medieval Philosophy

by Alex Hall, Gyula Klima, Brian T Carl, JT Paasch, Therese Scarpelli Cory, and Enrico Donato

Contemporary introductions to the theme of self-knowledge too often trace its emergence in the hi... more Contemporary introductions to the theme of self-knowledge too often trace its emergence in the history of philosophy to thinkers such as René Descartes and David Hume. Whereas Descartes conceives of self-knowledge as intimate and first-personal, Hume contends that it is limited to our awareness of our impressions and ideas. In point of fact, self-knowledge is a perennial theme. We may, for instance, trace the lineage of Hume and Descartes on these matters to Aristotle and Plato, respectively. This volume studies philosophical treatments of self-knowledge in the Medieval Latin West. It comprises two sets of papers; the first is taken from an author-meets-critics session on Therese Scarpelli-Cory’s Aquinas on Human Self Knowledge, which advances the thesis that Aquinas’s theory of self-knowledge wherein the intellect grasps itself in its activity bridges the divide between mediated and first-personal self-knowledge. The second set of papers discuss self-knowledge in terms of self-fulfilment. Authors look to Aquinas’s account of how we can know when we have acquired the virtues necessary for human happiness, as well as the medieval traditions of mysticism and theology, which offer accounts of transformative self-knowledge, the fulfilment that this brings to our emotional and physical selves, and the authority to teach and counsel about what this awareness confers.

downloadDownload free PDF

Drafts by Brian T Carl

THE PROBLEM OF EVIL AND THE NATURE OF GOD: DIVINE MERCY AND SORROW

The question of whether and how one might reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with the ... more The question of whether and how one might reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with the goodness of the divine, long considered the most formidable objection against the existence of God, was familiar to St. Thomas Aquinas. 1 The version of the problem to which St. Thomas responds, in the article containing his famous five ways, asserts succinctly an absolute opposition between the infinite goodness of God and the existence of any evil, such that if there were a God, then no evil would be found in the world. 2 To this objection, St. Thomas replies that "it pertains to the infinite goodness of God to permit evils and to draw good things out of them." 3 As with other perennial philosophical problems, there can be as much disagreement about how to articulate the problem of evil as there is about whether and how the problem might be resolved. St. Thomas's brief formulation of the problem, which centers on the alleged inconsistency of the existence of evils with the infinite divine goodness, leaves much room for interpretation and constructive elaboration. Furthermore, the problem of evil and the question of theodicy are closely tied to a wide range of philosophical and theological issues treated by St.

format_quoteDavies challenges the characterization of God as morally good, complicating traditional views on divine authority and moral obligations surrounding evil.format_quote

downloadDownload free PDF

Before you go

Make your research this easy to find.

Create your free profile

Brian T Carl

Uploads

Papers by Brian T Carl

Books by Brian T Carl

Drafts by Brian T Carl

Log In