Forms of religious language - analogy Flashcards
What is univocal language?
When a term is used in exactly the same way and to mean the same thing e.g. Fido is a dog and Rover is a dog.
What happens when univocal language is used of God?
It means that language from the spatio-temporal universe we live in is applied directly to God to mean exactly the same thing - anthropomorphising God.
What is equivocal language?
This is to use the same word in a completely different and unrelated sense e.g. when “bat” is used as a “cricket bat” or “the bat which is flying around in my attic”.
What is the issue with using equivocal language for God?
If we use this language about God, then we can’t speak meaningfully of God, we can’t claim to know anything about God.
What is analogy of attribution?
Where there is a causal relation between the two things being described. God is the creator, everything in some way is reflected in God - similar to but no the same.
Why does Aquinas argue that there is a causal relationship between God and humans.
Creatures derive from or are caused by God. For Aquinas, causes and their most special effects are intimately connected. Because creatures come from or are brought about by God, they reflect something of what he is.
Why does Aquinas think that it is wrong to say that because Ellie is morally good, therefore God is morally good?
God is good by necessity, humans have free will so they chose to be good, so to say that they are good is meaningful, but God can’t chose to do evil, therefore, it is meaningless to say that God is morally good.
What is analogy of proportion?
Something is good because it is proportionate to its nature, so for Aquinas, a human being is good if they fulfil the 5 precepts and develop virtues.
What are the problems with analogy?
Causes do not always resemble their effects.
How useful is it if the words are related but we don’t know how they are related - only meaningful if it can be reformulated using literal and univocal language.
Analogy leaves us with an unclear answer to what God is like.
What does Kenny say?
Dead men do not resemble their murderers.
Apply the Naturalistic fallacy to analogy?
Just because design is intelligent doesn’t mean that the designer is intelligent.
Apply the teleological argument to analogy?
We can know what God is like through design - Paley would argue that it reflects an intelligent mind, Tenant - aesthetic principle - benevolence.
What’s the advantage of using analogy?
Allows believers to talk of god but maintains God’s mystery and transcendence as same words used are related but not meant in exactly the same way or completely differently.
How would Anselm support the mystery of God?
God is that which nothing greater can be conceived - we aren’t capable of conceiving God.
How does poetry support analogy?
Analogy must be meaningful or we would not continue to use it.
