✅PHILOSOPHY: Nature And Attributes Of God Flashcards
What is boethius’ book called
“Consolation of philosophy, book V”
What is Anslems book called
De Concordia
What is swinburnes book called
The coherence of theism part II
What is Varys book called
The puzzle of God
What is Macquarries book called
Principles of Christian theology
What topics are covered in this topic
Omnipotence, omnibenevolence, omniscience, eternity and free will
What is omnipotence
Divine powers and self imposed limitation
What is omniscience
Divine knowledge and its interaction with temporary existence and free will
What is benevolence
Divine love and just judgement of human actions
Which scholar is important in omnibenevolence
Boethius arguing for divine forknowdge, eternity and free willy
What is eternity
Divine eternity and action in time, including anselms 4 dimensionalist approach and boethius
What is free will
Extent to which human free will reasonably coexists with these attributes
What is divine action
The view /belief that god directly intervened in the world
What does chalmers smith say that’s supports God is amazing
“Immortal, invisible God only wise.,”
What does psalms say about the creator
You search out my path ., even before a word is one my tongue
In the beginning lord, you load down foundations of the earth
Hebrews
What does Christian creeds think about Gods power
All power. Only the most powerful thing, and the source of all existence “I believe in god the father almighty creator of heaven and earth”
What does Descartes think about omnipotence
yes, God can do anything. god has power to do actions which are logically impossible or self contradictory. 1+1=5 God could do. god could have created world with wholly different arithmetic. god could change the laws of physics.
What does Swinburne think about omnipotence
God is limited to the logically possible. Descartes is crazy. Most theists insist on limiting Gods powers to logically possible. “Can’t make a square circle” since there is no task being described by the phase making a round square.
What did Aquinas say about round squares
“It is better to say that some things cannot be done, trainer than God cannot do them”
What does Aquinas think about omnipotence
God cannot sin. Impossible forgod to do so. Sinning isn’t a rational action. Failure to do what is right. It’s a kind of error.
God is perfect and therefore can’t make a mistake
A sin is a mistake (in morality)
Therefore God cannot sin
What is kenosis
Claim that God. By becoming Jesus had to humble himself or being less than omnipotent.
Why did God limit his powers?
Deliberately limits them. Self limitation due to Jesus. Make himself vulnerable and eventually die on the cross
What does Peter vardy say about omnipotence
God is not in control of the whole human history like pieces on a chess board. Wrong to suggest everything happens because of the will of god.
What does Charles hartshorne say about omnipotence
After creation. God is limited in the sense that he creates other things which have powers that are their own. Creation means god has created other centres of power. “These other centres of power are not god”
Therefore god has imposed limits on himself by creating things that aren’t god.
Why does Charles hartshorne thinkGod can’t be all powerful?
Total power isn’t impressive. Like winning in a race with no competitors. Important to recognise that through free will some people will put up resistance to god. Therefore gods power is not over them, but is GREATER. TTENGCBC.
Who disagrees with hartshorne
Many theists. Unhappy with ideaGod imposed limits to his omnipotence. Aquinas wants to say that gods creating of something that isn’t got makes no difference in god power. He’s just as powerful as beofre creation.
What does Aquinas think of god powers beofre and after creation
Just as powerful. Primary causes and secondary causes. god is the first cause of everything. This means tree continues to exist and perform activities since god gives it the power to do so. (Like the battery). If god was the stop powers, tree wouldn’t even exist. But doesn’t imply tree doesn’t do anything. Tree has own powers- secondary powers. God through primary causation confers secondary causation on trees and creation as a whole
What is an analogy to explain Aquinas primary and secondary causes?
Someone seeing wood using a saw. The person is the primary cause of the wood being saw. Without the person sawing the wood, the wood would not be cut. But is it true that the saw does nothing? The person uses the saw as a secondary cause to cut the wood.
What does psalms say about gods omniscience
You have searched me and you know me
What had the Hebrews said about gods omniscience
Nothing in all creation is hidden from gods sight.
What does acts say about gods omniscience
You lots who knows the hearts of all men..
What does Jeremiah say about gods omniscience
Beofre I formed you in the womb I knew you.. I appointed you as a prophet
What is unlimited omniscience
Refers to gods unlimited knowledge, including all history, past, present and future. Gods OUTSIDE time and has knowledge of the whole of time from beginning to end.
What is limited omniscience
Being limited to what is logically possible to know. Or god chooses to limit what he knows to allow humans free will.gods knowledge changes over time. Fits with god being everlasting. But time passes for god
What does Kant think of omniscience
Problem with omniscience. Without freedom there can be no moral choices. We have to have geniuine options available to us to choose between. Not just an illusion. And if omniscience determines our choices, God cannot justifiably punish us.
What does boethius think of God
God is eternal and timeless. God is changeless and doesn’t exist in time. Not a physical life. Doesn’t involved change and doesn’t involve experiencing life as a series of events.
What is the problem boethius frames?
If god infallibly knows what I will do tomorrow, then, the future must be fixed. It if what I will do tonorrow is fixed, then I cannot be free since I cannot do anything else but what I do
What is boethius solution problem In short
Human thoughts and actions have no freedom because the divine mind in foreseeing all things without being led astray by falseness bunds human thoughts and actions to a single manner of occurrence
What is the answer to boethius problem
Need to consider the nature of gods eternity for this will make clear to us both the nature of god and his matter of knowing. Eternity, then, is the complete, simultaneous and perfect possession of everlasting life.
What is boethius’ plan of action to find a solution for god timelessness
Contrasts our relationship with time with God. Is god limited to time? No, god doesn’t have to wait until tomorrow. Perfect way possession of the whole time.
Boethius solution to time- walker analogy
If you see someone in the present moment doing something, then, you can know with certainty what they are doing. It is inevitable that what they are doing is necessary. If gods knowledge is he same as us, our future is fixed. If god is in time with is, the future would be fixed since otherwise how could he Infalliably know?
But gods knowledge isn’t like our knowledge. God knows what you will do tonorrow but by prediction but he sees you do it all at once
Boethius answer in a nutshell
Actions must be fixed.
He cannot infallibly know that something will probably happen. Therefore the future must be fixed for god to know it. This means there can be no free will since everything is fixed.
Boethius solution is to argue gods knowledge isn’t like Ours me god is present to the events of tonorrow. Therefore he witnesses free will actions in His present. Witnessing a free action and therefore knowing it with certainly doesn’t require the action to be fused or inevitable
How does kenny criticise boethius
Idea that all of time is equally present to Hod is incoherent. How can ua god who is outside time have knowledge of what is happening in time? Compromises the immutability of God
How does Einstein criticise boethius
Theory of relativity. Suggests time is not the unchaining thing we think it is. We treat time like a process, but it may just be an illusion
How does DZ Phillips argue against boethius
Takes this further arguing that boethius emphasises the otherness of god over his benevolence. Of god knew about hitler, but does nothing, what does this say about his justice or benevolence.
Swinburnes argument of limited omniscience
Surrports the view god is everlasting. Argues boethius idea of events occurring simultaneously to God cannot be made sense of. Suggests that belief in an everlasting god fits more safisfactory with god in the bible
Swinburnes quote about limited omniscience
Is there a god?:
I cannot see anything that anything can be meant by saying that god knows the evens of 1995 unless it means he existed in 1995, hence I prefer god being eternal rather than timeless
What does Nicholas wolterstorff day about limited omniscience
Only way to understand some of gods actions as indicated in the bible is to understand them as free actions in response to human beings behaviour, suggesting that Gods actions involved time passing
Swinburne and wolterstorff theory in short
god can require new knowledge as time passes. Thus events do history occur, God gains new knowledge. God can know what is logically possible. So if future hasn’t happened, there is no future to be known. And gods omniscience is not limited because it’s impossible to know what doesn’t exist. Perfect eg knowledge of what has occurred and what is occurring
Alvin plantinga on omnipotence
May not have omnipotence as a necessary quality. May. Goose to limit powers to preserve human will.
LIMITS HIS POWERS
Kenny on omnipotence
He is not within a body. Therefore must change his definition. Narrower omnipotence. Possess all logically possible powers, for a being with attributes of god
NOT LOGICALLY POSSIBLE
Descartes on omnipotence
Argues god can do anything. Including logically impossible.
ANYTHINF
What does Geech think of omnipotence
Comes from Latin word “omnipotens” New Testament was in Greek. Best understood as a capacity of power. Power over everything rather than power to do everything.
Mavrodes on omnipotence
Responds to savages stone. God, be definition, is a being of unlimited power, this he can’t self contradict. Logically impossible
LOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE
“To create a stone that God cannot life”
George mavrodes
William of Ockham on omnipotence
2 powers of God-
absolute power of God, options available beofre g committed himself to particular cause of action
And ordained power of god, refers to options currently available new world is made
John Macquarie on omnipotence
God limits his own power for our benefit
LIMITS HIS POWER
When we speak of gods powers we speak in analogy. Gods power is very different to our own.
Vardy on omnipotence
God limits power for our benefit
LIMITS POWER
Michael dummet on omnipotence
If a ship has sank, is there any use to pray?
Charles hartshorne on omnipotence
Absolute omnipotence is sense of total power. Wouldn’t be perfect quality. Not impressive. God would have control over everything, nothing would be able to do anything unless god allows it.
Savages paradox
Paradox of the stone. 1967. God could create a stone that was so heavy that even god himself couldn’t lift it. Either way. God isn’t potent. Either he can’t lift it. Or he can’t make it.
C.S. Lewis on omnipotence book
“Problem of pain” 1940
Lewis on omnipotence
Supports swinburn. Doesn’t mean god can’t do anything. God cannot do anything logically impossible. Not anything that is inconsistent with the divine nature.
Lewis quote on omnipotence
But creatures are not happy. Therefore god either lacks goodness, the power, or both
Anselm on omnipotence
Omnipotence Not necessarily a good thing, mean god would be able to tell lies. This is inconsistent to his nature.
Thomas nagel article
What is it like to be a bat? 1974
Thomas nagel argument about omniscience
We have no idea as we don’t have bat sensory or minds. God cannot know how it feels to be human, or to be ignorant.
What is the omniscience paradox? 1st problem
If he is all knowing he can’t change his mind. Meaning there isn’t something god can’t do. Therefore not potent.
Gods knowledge is always perfect from start. Therefore logically contradiction to ask him to change is mind
Solution to omniscience paradox
God knows all future and possible solutions. We are still free. God doesn’t predict the future from the past. He is outside time.
What is omniscience paradox
2nd problem
If god knows everything, he knows the future. Therefore the future is already known and therefore PREDESTIONED. Problem of evil. Not morally perfect
What is adjustment bureau
Movie. “You don’t have free will, David. You have the appreance of free will”
Scheliermacher on omniscience
Possible solution to the problem of omniscience restricts our freedom, draws analogy of the knowledge that close friends have of each others future behaviour to conclude that god could be omniscience whilst still allowing people to act freely
Schleirermacher book
The Christian faith 1831
Problems with schleriermachers theory
Gods knowledge is infallible, it’s not like ours
I could make a mistake but god cannot make mistakes on knowledge
There is nothing that god knows that will turn out to be untrue
Anselms four dimentionalist approach
Insisted upon TIMELESSNESS of god. TTENGCBC.
Anselm believed god was both eternal and simple, he has no parts. God was therefore not constrained by the same laws of place and time.
Past and future exist in same way present exists. Like “right over there” and “not far away”. Relative to a person in any given place in space
Humans exist in space and like PRESENTIST way. God is not just IN time and space but every time and space is IN god and sustained by god
Anselm quote
“You surely cannot deny that the eternal is better than the temporal.”
What is eternity to anselm
Non-temporal concept. Makes sense to speak of Anselms notion of eternity as being in the fourth dimension. Advantage is that it supports the reality of our temporal world.
Walker analogy
God is a view point on a hill. The walker is a conditional necessity. Walking and it’s necessità he is walking because he is walking. But it’s not happening because of the nature of God but because it’s happening freely. Sun is example of simple necessity
Steps boethius takes
1-outlines argument
2- tells us what is known- nature of the knower
3- nature of god is eternal
4- knowledge of eternal present doesn’t cause events
5- simple and conditional necessity
6- conclusion. God is just with rewards and punishments.
What century was boethius alive
6th century
When did he write his book
Whilst awaiting execution for treason
What are the 2 types of eternal nature
Timeless god- temporal god. Boethius and Aquinas would agree
Everlasting god. Senpiternal. With us on the timeline but never started or finished. Swinburne would agree
View that god is timeless
Atemporal.
God is eternal. Exists outside time. Sees past present and future as one, with perfect knowledge. God is in control of time. Immutable
View that god is everlasting
Disadvantages
If he was bound to time, he would be limited, would have to wait for an outcome,
Have times when his plans didn’t work
Reduced to a. Point
View that god is everlasting
Advantages
Personal More like us Holy trinity would agree Free will Relationships
Problems with god is timeless
Seems to limit free will
Problem of evil
How can god act in the world
Wouldn’t be able to pray
Augustine on god as timeless
If god is everlasting he picked that particular moment in time to create the universe, and how god might have been spending his time in the eternity beofre the universe existed.
For Augustine, the bible points to a timeless god who chooses to create the seasons as described in genesis.
Aquinas with gods timelessness
Uses analogy of a man walking on a road, unable to see what lies ahead. As god has a birds eye view, he can see what lies ahead and what’s in the past.
God is “wholly simple” as he was “pure actuality”.
Speak of god in analogy. Use words to mentally put words to describe God
Hick with gods timelessness
Epistemically distance. God deliberately being at a distance to preserve our free will. Our knowledge will always be limited .
Oscar cullman on eternity
Argues on the basis of textual analysis of the bible that eternal should be understood as everlasting and not timeless. Endless duration. Not outside time.
D z Phillips on eternity
Idea of eternity is not related to notion of time, but expresses something of a qualitative nature. God doesn’t exist as just another object even if he is the greatest being. He is completely different.
Augustine’s book
City of god
Boethuis on eternity
Same as omniscience. To try and solve his problem with omniscience he concluded that god must be erernal in his nature. To be the knower of all he must be eternal in his nature as that is what that knowledge meant, knowledge of eternal present doesn’t cause events, and therefore he doesn’t intervene with our free will. Hence he is just with his rewards and punishments.
Why does boethuis know god must be eternal
Have to compare it with temporal things. God is eternal, beyond time and hence can have limitless knowledge. Eternal things possess boundless life.
“As though from a lofty peak above is “
Boethius, about god being above us watching us go along the timeline. God sees our present past and future. We are free to do whatever. Gods knowledge isn’t causal.
Who agrees with boethius’ idea of eternity
Anselm, Aquinas, Augustine,
Aquinas idea of eternity
Built on boethius’ idea that god is above the timeline. A temporal. Analogy of someone walking down a road. Whilst the walker is making choices, the person looking from abov (god), sees what choices will be made but this knowledge isn’t causal.
Challenges to boethius on eternity
Kenny argues that the notion that all time is equally pr sent to god is incoherent.
Swinburne defends the compatibility of omniscience and human free will without the idea of timelessness.
Examples of gods love
Love, justice, creation, Jesus, holiness, forgiveness, commandments, answering prayers, miracles
What does benevolence mean
Well wishing
Is god a well wisher?
During just wishing well for someone is useless unless you are prepared to help thag person
Biblical references to gods love
“God is love” John
“And with you lots, is unfailing love” psalms
“Because your love is better than life” psalms
What is the Hebrew word for love
Hesed or chesed, the love god has Is not because of any special worth, it’s special because of gods love
Hosea quote of gods benevolence
To them I was like one who lifts infants to the cheek and I bent sown to feed them…”
Story of Hosea for benevolence
The prophet who was to worm as a symbol of gods love for Israel. Gods love is parental
Is god good?
If god commands things because they are good then it implies there is a standard of goodness independent from god.
What is Plato’s euthyphro dilemma
If whatever god thinks or does is simply be definition “good” regardless of what it is, then it does make sense to praise god for his goodness?
What is the divine command theory
Idea that an act is morally right if commanded by god and wrong if god has forbidden it
Does god command X because it is good??
Goodness exists is separate to God. Moral values aren’t established by gods will. God is limited by morality which is above him. He responds to what is good. Independent of god.
Why can’t good be independent from god
Because it would limit Gods power, would mean we don’t need a god, and means the laws would change and hence you can’t always follow them. This is a secular view
Is X good because it is commanded by God?
God is the direct source of moral knowledge. Not good unless god commands it. “god has a plan”
Abraham story for gods benevolence
God tested Abraham, he said Abraham? Here I am, he said take your son your only son, Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah and offer him as a brunt offering on one of the mountains “ Genesis
Does it make sense to praise god for his goodness?
Accept that there is a objective standard, but the standard is not external to god, but internal.
Morality is grounded in the character of god who is perfect.
What is the conclusion of omnibenevolence
Good is in God, it isn’t independent but is in his character internally.
What does Aquinas say about omnibenevolence
When we speak of the love of god, we use analogy, we are talking of a love like is ours but it is infinitely greater than is.
God commands us to do things because they are good, but he knows what to command with his perfect knowledge. Because his nature is entirely good, therefore god would never command something like murder to be good because goodness is part of his character and his commands are an expression of his character
What does William Alston say about omnibenevolence
“We can think of god himself, the individual being, as the supreme standard of goodness”
What does jurgen moltmann say about omnibenevolence
The crucified god.
Christianity shows that god doesn’t just sit outside time because perfect and immutable, he gets involved with is and shares the pains of human existence to the extent of suffering death by torture.
Who said “I do think that all goodness reflects god in some way”
F. Copleston
How does the problem of evil fit with benevolence
Mackie and Epicurus came up with it, compatibilist about free will and argues we are both determined and have free will,
God could have given us free will and made is morally perfect so we freely choose good every time, it he didn’t.
What does scherleiermacher say about benevolence
Why didn’t god make us perfect?
What did John Stuart mill say as a criticism of the design?
“Nearly all the things which men are hanged or imprisoned for doing to one another wre anthers every day performances”
“Either there is no god, or there exists an incompetent or immoral god
Richard Dawkins on benevolence
Uses people as a means to an end, cleansing and can be angry. “The god of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all of fiction”
Richard Dawkins book
The god delusion
How can hell exist if god is omnibenevolent?
For some, Hell is incompatible with the notion of a good God. Universalist Such as as John hick argue that all will be saved.
Others give a symbolic interpretation to the rewards and punishments of heaven and hell
What does Swinburne think of hell if god is omnibenevolent?
Rejects that human freedom most include the freedom to damn ourselves.
What does William frankena think of omnibenevolence?
Points out that the moral principle of justice does not mean treating everyone in the same way, it would not be justice to send everyone to university. Have to allow people to freely choose their own free will and choices
What is the analogy of the diamond?
God is one thing, but can be I terpeted in May different ways. God doesn’t love people differently? People just interpret his intrinsic love
Psalms 63
“Your steadfast love is better than life, I will praise you”
Kant belief on omnibenevolence
His love is redeemed in heaven, and he links this to his moral argument for the existence of god.
To be loving, god has to :
Change, he cannot be immutable
Respond, emphasis and interact
Be with us and love is
Feels pain to understand us- cannot be impassible
Plato’s input on the belevolence
Euthyphro dilemma
Aquinas input on the belevolence
Use analogy, commands because they are good
Calvin’s input on the belevolence
Agrees with Aquinas
Alston input on the belevolence
“We can think of god himself, individual being, as supreme standard of goodness”
Moltmann input on the belevolence
God gets involved and shares his pain through Jesus Christ
schleiermacher input on the belevolence
Why didn’t god just make us perfect?
Mackie and Hume and Epicurus input on the belevolence
Inconsistent triad and the problem of evil
Mill input on the belevolence
“No intelligent designer, and if there is one he is cruel”
Fry input on the belevolence
Bone cancer in children? Why should I worship a cruel god?
Swinburne input on the belevolence
Rejects arguing humans freedom must include dooming ourselves
Frankena input on the belevolence
Moral justice doesn’t mean treating everyone the same
Kierkegaard input on the belevolence
Not necessary to resolve conflicts.
Tertullien input on the belevolence
I believe it because it is absurd
Boethius input on the belevolence
If timeless, he cannot answer prayers,
Descartes input on the belevolence
Do logically impossible therefore he can be timeless and loving
Anselm input on the belevolence
TTWNGCBC
