The Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR)
Though the PSR is most commonly associated with Gottfried Leibniz, it is arguably found in its strongest form in Spinoza's philosophy. Within the context of Spinoza's philosophical system, the PSR can be understood to unify causation and explanation. What this means is that for Spinoza, questions regarding the reason why a given phenomenon is the way it is (or exists) are always answerable, and are always answerable in terms of the relevant cause(s). This constitutes a rejection of teleological, or final causation, except possibly in a more restricted sense for human beings. Given this, Spinoza's views regarding causality and modality begin to make much more sense.
Read more about this topic: Spinoza's God, Core Doctrine, Causality and Modality
Famous quotes containing the words principle, sufficient and/or reason:
“Thanks to all. For the great republicfor the principle it lives by, and keeps alivefor mans vast future,thanks to all.”
—Abraham Lincoln (18091865)
“... most Southerners of my parents era were raised to feel that it wasnt respectable to be rich. We felt that all patriotic Southerners had lost everything in defense of the South, and sufficient time hadnt elapsed for respectable rebuilding of financial security in a war- impoverished region.”
—Sarah Patton Boyle, U.S. civil rights activist and author. The Desegregated Heart, part 1, ch. 1 (1962)
“And Reason kens he herits in
A haunted house. Tenants unknown
Assert their squalid lease of sin
With earlier title than his own.”
—Robert Bridges (18441930)