Attributes of god (omnipotence) Flashcards
what is the first argument for complete vs self imposed limitations? who’s arg?
- omnipotence: concerns gods ability to do anything even the logically impossible
- Descartes
what does desecrates say to support his argument?
God can not be limited in any way, therefore as god is the source fo logic he has the power to suspend logic and replace it
what restricts god and what is the solution for desecrates first argument?
saying god conforms to laws of nature, logic and physics restarts god but since he made them he can break them
what is a limit to our human knowledge and not gods human logic?
not understanding how god can ‘know everything’ and ‘gain knowledge’ for example is a limit to our logic not God
what does J.L.Mackie say to weaken his argument?
idea of logically impossible actions were ‘only a form of words which fails to describe any state of affairs’= there is nothing which is ‘logically impossible’. ‘logical impossibilities do not exist
why is there no such thing as logically impossible for Mackie?
because god does not have a lack or power or a lack of knowledge= making a circle into a square is nonsense
what does Descartes first argument turn god into according to Mackie?
and unpredictable/ arbitrary god, who can do anything, this makes it difficult to understand and have a relationship with god
what does Mackie say about god having the ability to do the ‘logically impossible’?
if god can do things such as prevent evil and allow us to have free will why doesn’t he?
what is the second argument for omnipotence? who’s argument?
concerns gods ability to do what is logically possible for a perfect God todo, aquinas
what does aquinas say to summarise his argument?
god has the power to do whatever it Is logically possible for God to do
what quote does aquinas use to support his argument?
“whatever involves a contradiction is not held by omnipotence, for it just cannot possibly make sense of being possible”
simplify the argument using example?
god cannot sin as this contradicts gods all good nature, god cannot climb a tree as this contradicts god being incorporeal
who supports this argument 2?
Swinburne
what does Swinburne argue?
gods omnipotence means God can do anything but w must understand what ‘everything’ includes
what does Swinburne say about truing a square into a circle?
turning a square into a circle is not a ‘thing’ therefore god does not have to be able to do it because that ‘thing’ does not exist
