Francisco Suárez’s philosophical theology: An orgy of logical reason

Abstract

The article examines the background and structure of Suárez’s philosophical theology as presented “Metaphysical Disputations”. The article begins with a general characterization of Suarez’s philosophical theology. It is characterized by the following features. First, Suárez understands philosophical theology as the best and most excellent part of metaphysics. Second, philosophical theology follows the principles and methodology of scholastic Aristotelianism and clearly adheres to this framework. Third, Suárez consistently adheres to the demonstrative method of presentation. The main part of the paper is an examination of the seventeen divine attributes, or perfections, as Suárez calls them. He divides all the attributes into two groups: absolute perfections, taken by analogy from the perfections peculiar to any created being, and relative perfections, taken from the individual properties of the created intellect and will and purified from creatureliness. The perfections of the first type are inherent in God formally, the perfections of the second type are inherent in him in a superior way, that is, eminently. Then all seventeen attributes delineated by Suárez are analyzed: infinity, pure actuality and simplicity of the divine being, etc. At the end of the article the whole consideration is summarized, its strong point is noted, but also the conclusion is made about the principal insufficiency, from the modern point of view, of Suarez’s purely metaphysical approach to the theme of natural God-knowledge.