Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion

CAMBRIDGE PLATONISTS

42

Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible
Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints.

CAMBRIDGE PLATONISTS. A move-
ment of philosophers, theologians, poets,
and priests in the seventeenth century
that promoted the good, the true, and
the beautiful in their philosophy of God
and religion. They promoted religious
tolerance and the existence of free will
over against predestination. They firmly
advanced a non-materialist view of
human nature in opposition to Hobbes’
materialism. They produced the first
philosophical treatment of the design
and ontological arguments in English.
Members included Benjamin Whichcote,
Henry More, Ralph Cudworth, and John
Smith. It is likely that Cudworth was the
first in English to use the term “philo-
sophy of religion.” Many of the terms in
philosophy of religion today (such as
“theism” and “materialism”) can be traced
back to Cambridge Platonist writings.

CAMUS, ALBERT (1913–1960). An
Algerian French philosopher, novelist,
and playwright. Camus’ work challenged
the idea that atheism was of little moral or
personal significance. He defended the
notion that we should act boldly out of
basic human decency, even if there is no
God or if life is an apparent absurdity. His
works include The Myth of Sisyphus
(1943), Letters to a German Friend (1945),
The Plague (1947), The Rebel (1951),

The Fall (1956), and Reflections on

Capital Punishment (1960).

CARDINAL VIRTUES. The four virtues

highlighted in Plato’s Republic, B ook IV:

practical wisdom (or prudence), courage,

justice, and temperance (or self-control).

These were later incorporated into

Christian theology. Christian theologians

have traditionally held that knowledge

of these virtues does not require special

revelation.

CARTESIANISM / CARTESIAN. The

system of Descartes / a follower of

Descartes. See DESCARTES.

CASUISTRY. From the Latin, casus,

“a case.” The science of applying general

rules to particular moral cases. Assessing

whether to break a code of conduct (do

not bring beverages into the library) may

call into play more than one principle

(keep a promise to complete a dictionary,

which requires coffee). Casuistry is the

practice of discerning which principles

are more stringent. Because of the per-

ceived abuse of casuistry in early modern

Europe, the term was sometimes used

to suggest mere maneuvering to justify

some desired end. In this sense, it has

been used disparagingly to refer to

abstruse, pointless reflection on moral

cases, but its traditional, more respectful

use refers to the practice of determining