"Natural Wonders Are Greater than Miracles": Christian Wolff on Supernatural Events.

Authors

Matteo Favaretti Camposampiero

Published in

Journal of the history of ideas. Volume 87. Issue 3. Pages 497-525.

Abstract

Wolff's doctrine of miracles has been interpreted either as a rationalistic attempt to minimize (or even deny) supernatural events or as a defense of their possibility. This article argues that both interpretations are one-sided, because Wolff's position evolved over time. After reconstructing the doctrine of miracles expounded in German Metaphysics, I consider Wolff's (and Hollmann's) response to the Pietist attack. I argue that his later definition of the supernatural, while prima facie equivalent to the earlier, actually has a different meaning and less alarming implications. I conclude that Wolff gradually moved away from his initial, Leibniz-inspired concept of miracle.

PMID:
42572885
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Aug 2026.

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