Concept of God: omnsicience and immutability Flashcards
Basis of arguement
The concept of God as coherent can be questioned when regarding him as both omniscient and immutable as Kretzmann argues.
Kretzmann argument
A perfect being is not subject to change.
A perfect being knows everything.
A being that knows everything always knows what time it is.
A being that always knows what time it is is subject to change.
Therefore a perfect being is subject to change.
Therefore a perfect being is not a perfect being.
Finally, therefore, there is no perfect being.
Objection 1
the fact change in an object does not entail change in the knower.
Kretzmann response to objection 1
The denial that a change in the object necessitate a change in the knower depends on imprecise characterisations of the object.
Either I say I know X
Brody speaking if I know the shard the changing of the tenants or glass panels does not mean there’s a change in me
But if I am more precise and say I know the height of the shard and they add a 40 foot antenna surrender my belief or adapt it to a new height so I have changed.
In terms of the concept of God Kratzmann argues that knowledge of time is a precise type of knowledge and therefore when time changes as does the knower.
Objection B
The beliefs of a being that always knows what time it is are subject to change but a change in a beings, beliefs need not constitute a change in the being itself. There’s a difference between changing your mind and actually a change in the mind for example last year I knew the year was 2023 and this year I know the year is 2024. I have not changed my mind about anything as it is not as I have changed my favourite year from one year to the next which would be a change in mind.
Kratz been response to objection B
Objection be seems to consist in no more than an expression of disappointment in the magnitude of the change necessitated by always knowing what time it is.
Kattman is replying that even taking account of a small change like a change in what year it is is still a change in mind He also questions what counts as a change in mind versus taking account of a change.
Objection C
Objections see argues that for an omniscient being to know what time it is is to know the state of the universe at every instant.
Response to Objection C
Kutzmann argues that if an omniscient being were able to see all the events of his life simultaneously, they would be incapable of knowing what he is doing at the moment since all the omniscient being is that he may be dead alive or unborn. Example you know movie really really well somewhere in the world people are watching it you know everything about it apart from what is happening at the screen on that minute
What is Kratzmann’s overall thesis about God being immutable and omniscient?
Overall God being a mutable and omniscient undermines the coherence of God.
