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Malebranche

Historical Figure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

French philosopher who argued that all causation is divine, and we perceive the world only through God’s intervention.

Detailed Definition
Malebranche’s occasionalism—where God is the only true cause—inspired poetic visions of cosmic dependence, where every moment is a divine act, and nature becomes a silent scripture of God’s will.
Example
Example in poetry:
Malebranche, occasionalist, links mind and God: "Malebranche said God is the true cause—when I will to move, He moves me"; A theological reflection: "Grace alone connects us, said Malebranche, not effort, not merit"; A paradox: "I see ideas in God, said Malebranche—vision beyond eyes"; A critique: "Too passive, said Voltaire; we’re not puppets in divine theater"
Additional Notes
Malebranche argued all causation is divine, and we perceive the world only through God’s intervention; his occasionalism influenced mystical poetry where nature is not a system but a continuous divine manifestation, as in George Herbert’s devotional lyrics, where every leaf and stone becomes a direct expression of God’s will, not natural law.
Also Known As
Nicolas Malebranche
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