Francisco Suárez, S.J. (1548-1617):
Last Medieval or First Early Modern?

 



Forthcoming from Oxford University Press:

The Philosophy of Francisco Suárez

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Book Content: 11 Chapters

 

Abstract: Chapter 8 [pdf download]
Author: Cees Leijenhorst (Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen)

Suárez on Mind-Body Interaction

In his natural philosophy, as found in the Disputationes, Suárez develops a notion of body that runs counter to the Thomistic tradition. With the help of the concept of “forma corporeitatis”, Suárez develops the concept of body into much more than just an incomplete substance. Though Suárez maintains the hylomorphic vocabulary, his notion of body almost explodes the hylomorphic framework in ways that seem to foreashadow Descartes. Moreover, in his De Anima, Suárez seems to flirt with a mind-body dualism that has a certain Cartesian ring to it. This paper explores Suárez notion of body, more in particular of the human body and its interaction with the mind.