On General and Special Metaphysics

Arnold Senguerdius (1610-1667) was professor of metaphysics and physics at the University of Utrecht. He studied philosophy at the universities of Leiden and Franeker under such men as Franco Burgersdijk, Johannes Maccovius, and William Ames. The eminent Gisbertus Voetius recommends Senguerdius's work as the best introduction to metaphysics. In this work, Senguerdius covers general metaphysics as well as special metaphysics, including God, angels, and human souls. Note there is an error in chapter 19. There it should say "That a singular nature and a suppositum DO NOT differ only in reason alone..." The phrase there might be better translated as “That a singular nature and a suppositum do not differ merely in reason alone…” Senguerdius also says on page 62 that composition between nature and suppositum is not proper composition because they do not join multiple entities that are really distinct. He does not contradict himself here. What he means is that the distinction between a singular nature and a suppositum is a real modal distinction (thus “not merely in reason alone”) but not a simply real distinction. Senguerdius is substantially in agreement with metaphysicians like Suarez and Scheibler on this point. Brandon Scott Corley has published this book in hopes of reviving and promoting distinctively Reformed metaphysics. The translation was done by OmegaPoint. The PDF can be downloaded here: https://brandoncorleyschoo.wixsite.com/brandoncorley/post/arnold-senguerdius-on-general-and-special-metaphysics