Originally posted by shunyadragon
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- It remains possible the nature of our existence and Natural Law is eternal, and without prior cause.
- Yet man is a contingent thing.
- For man does not exist from necessity, but may not exist.
- Hence the being of man, (whereby being is the actuality of all acts) is a being caused by another cause.
- Hence because the being of man is caused by another, man cannot be the prime cause.
Line 4 discussed.
Being as the actuality of all acts. As being makes actual all things, then the being of a thing is the most fundamental act of the thing. As the most fundamental act of a thing cannot be caused by the thing, for the thing would cause its own being before the thing existed, then the being of a thing must be caused by another.
The above argument applies to things that have being and thereby participate in being, or in another way, have being by participation. What has being by participation is a thing that is dependent upon another cause and ultimately the prime cause, which is the necessary being. Hence the claim that nature of our existence is without a prior cause is a false claim.
Your claim that Natural Law is eternal, and without prior cause is also false for natural law follows upon human nature as a measure of human acts. As NL is dependent upon the existence of men, then natural law is not the prime cause.
JM
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