God

Abstract

In his first chapter de Vallone begins by producing two proofs for the existence of God, firstly, that from Universal consent, which he says is stronger than at first it might appear, since it is impossible that men of such widely differing temperaments, prejudices, and interests, and born in such different climates could be subject to the same error; and, secondly, that from design. Chance could not produce the order in the universe — it is very significant that he uses the word “tout”¹ — nor could matter, as order demands intelligence, and if matter were intelligent the greater the amount of matter the greater intelligence there would be. This however is not the case, as the smallest animalcule shows more intelligence than a great mass of matter. The creative intellect must be infinite to produce so much order. The whole world, however, is causally determined and governed by constant laws. Determinism appears very early in his treatise. Moreover he leaves a wide choice open as to what precisely is the nature of God — the Spirit of matter, the soul of the Universe, Wise Nature, the moving and governing Daemon. But while saying that the philosopher can call God any of these things, it is clear that de Vallone is no atheist, though he is hardly a Christian theist, and that he regards the Universe as dependent on God, to whom he refers as “this admirable Intelligence”.²