Inquiry Into the Limits and Peculiar Objects of Physical and Metaphysical Science

Inquiry Into The Limits And Peculiar Objects Of Physical And Metaphysical Science by Robert Eden Scott Inquiry Into The Limits And Peculiar Objects Of Physical And Metaphysical Science surveys the history and nature of causation, contrasting physical causes with active or intellectual causes. The author traces the topic from ancient to modern times, examining Aristotle’s fourfold framework, the Cartesian and Malebranche systems, Spinoza and Leibniz, and later discussions by Cudworth and Hume. Adopting a Baconian or inductive spirit, the work seeks to fix the boundaries between physical science and the science of mind, distinguishing facts (changes, events) from agentive power. It argues that physical science can account for many phenomena through the inherent properties of matter—impenetrability, inertia, gravity, cohesion—while leaving questions about mind, life, and final causes to metaphysics. An Appendix with Dr. Gregory’s Illustrations clarifies the distinction between activity and causation, reinforcing the central claim that physics investigates physical causes, whereas true agency belongs to intellectual science. The book aims to delineate a coherent theory of causation within the broader framework of body, mind, and nature.