Volume 96, Issue 4, Fall 2022
Daniel Heider
Pages 619-652
https://doi.org/10.5840/acpq2022823260
The Metaphysics of Perfect Vital Acts in Second Scholasticism
In this paper I deal with the issues in Second Scholasticism of the nature, genesis and creatability of perfect vital acts of cognition and appetition in vital powers. I present the theories of Francisco Su芍rez (1548每1617), Raffaele Aversa (1589每1657), and Bartolomeo Mastri (1602每1673) together with Bonaventura Belluto (1603每1676). I show that while for Aversa these acts are action-like items merely emanating from the soul and vital powers and as such cannot be produced from the outside, even by God, for Mastri and Belluto they are absolute qualities proceeding from their principles by efficient causation proper, which is a kind of procession that can be replaced by God. I argue that Su芍rez*s position attempts to steer a middle ground between these two theories.