The Ontological and Epistemological Dimensions of Infinity in Malebranche

Malebranche, while retaining the theological and metaphysical reality of infinity, attributes thereto an epistemological function to the extent that he understands infinity as a sphere in which the mind grasps ideas, and an epistemic and regulatory direction is provided to guide the pursuit of knowledge. In this regard, Malebranche stresses the links that exist between said metaphysical infinity and the variety of infinities that emerges in the various sciences. In light of this emphasis, we propose to examine the Malebranchian concept of infinity in its ontological and epistemological meaning, with a particular focus on how this concept is thematized in the metaphysical and mathematical sense.