1.4A- The nature of God INCOMPLETE

Question 1

Omnipotence

Answer 1

The meaning of omnipotence is ‘all-powerful’, the idea that God can do anything. The difficulty lies in determining what that ‘anything’ might be.

Question 2

Descartes and Omnipotence

Answer 2

Descartes argues that God can do anything, including the logically impossible. For example, God could make a square circle or round square. This suggests that God is not limited by anything, even logic.

Question 3

Swinburne and Omnipotence

Answer 3

Swinburne’s understanding of omnipotence disagrees with Descartes because he argues God cannot do the logically impossible. For example, God cannot make a shape that is square and round at the same time because this is self-contradictory since part of the definition of being round precludes the idea of being square. So, Swinburne argues that God’s omnipotence must be limited to the logically possible.

Question 4

C.S. Lewis’ response to Swinburne

Answer 4

C.S. Lewis commented that simply adding the words ;Gd can’ to the beginning of a nonsense sentence doesn’t change the meaning. Thus, saying ‘God can create a square circle’ is still nonsense.