nature/attributes of God

Question 1

asking whether the concept of god is…

Answer 1

coherent

Question 2

omnipotence - descartes argues for

Answer 2

voluntarism

Question 3

what do voluntaristic theories argue and believe

Answer 3

voluntaristic theories argue that god can do the logically impossible
they believe that everything comes from God and so everything is dependent on god - including logic

Question 4

descartes example of logically impossible thing that God could do

Answer 4

4+4=9

Question 5

descartes - why did god create logic

Answer 5

god created logic to help humans understand the world but god can conceive of higher things

Question 6

descartes quote

Answer 6

“it would be rash to think that our imagination reaches as far as his power”

Question 7

descartes conclusion. logic for humans is a …

Answer 7

limitation, but not a limitation for God on which all things including maths and logic depend.
thus, the rules of logic are decided by God and then emanate from his mind

Question 8

evaluation of voluntarism

self defeating

Answer 8

voluntarism is self defeating
- if it is possible for god to make 4+4=9, then it must be possible for 4+4=9
- if it is possible, it is not logically possible
- yet voluntarism says that god can do the logically impossible. but if this is followed through, then nothing is logically impossible
- therefore the idea that god can do the logically impossible is meaningless because nothing is logically impossible

Question 9

descartes response to self defeating argument

Answer 9

4+4=9 is logically impossible, but god can do it.
but logic itself would argue that if it can be done then it cannot be logically impossible

Question 10

evaluation of voluntarism

undermines theodicies

Answer 10

theodicies and solutions to the problem of evil and suffering usually argue that God cannot take away evil without also taking away:
1. gods justice
2. human free will
3. opportunities for growth
but if god can do the logically impossible, he should be able to take away evil and suffering wile maintaining justice, free will and opportunities for growth

Question 11

theodicies and solutions to the problem of evil and suffering usually argue that god cannot take away

Answer 11

1. gods justice
2. human free will
3. opportunities for growth

Question 12

conclusion of evaluation - voluntarism undermines theodicies

Answer 12

either god is not omnipotent, or god does not exist
if he is omnipotent, then he is not the god of classical theism

Question 13

omnipotence - aquinas

Answer 13

aquinas argued that the correct definition of omnipotence was the ability to do any logically possible thing
he argued gods power is founded on gods infinite divine nature, which “possesses within itself the perfection of all being”. therefore, gods omnipotence can only bring about things consistent with the perfection of being

Question 14

aquinas quote

Answer 14

“it is better to say that such things cannot be done, than that god cannot do them”
even though god cannot create logically impossible things, that is not a limitation of his omnipotence, once properly understood as “power founded on the perfection of being”
(doing logically impossible things would be an imperfection)

Question 15

evaluation of aquinas

the paradox of the stone

Answer 15

can god create a weight so heavy that he cannot pick it up?
it is not logically possible for god to create a weight so heavy he cannot pick it up.
but if he does, then thereis something he cannot do: pick up the stone
if he cannot make such a stone then there is something he cannot do: make the stone
these are not logical impossiibilities and therefore they count against aquinas’ view of omnipotence
it is logically impossible for god to be able to create a weight so heavy that he cannot pick it up because god is able to do anything logically possible
god would be able to pick up any weight, so it must be logically impossible for God to make a weight he cannot pick it up.

Question 16

response to the paradox of the stone

Answer 16

not a valid criticism.
the question “can god create a weight so heavy that god cannot pick it up” is a contradiction
it effectively asks “can god do something which a god cannot do?” this is now a logical impossibility and so fails to argue against aquinas

Question 17

self imposed limits on gods omnipotence

Answer 17

God can do anything but he chooses to limit himself

Question 18

2 reasons why does god limits his omnipotence

Answer 18

• he created a universe based on logic and order. he can act outside of logic and order but chooses not to because that would create chaos in his ordered world
• human free will. if humans have ‘significant’ free will (plantinga), then god must limit his omnipotence and not intervene tp stop us doing something wrong
  or epistemic distance (Hick) god chooses to hide the certainty of his existence which means he must limit his omnipotence

Question 19

criticism - can god limit himself?

Answer 19

to really limit yourself means not being able to do it. we might argue god used to be omnipotent, but now that he limits himself, he is not omnipotent anymore.

however. if god is merely limiting himself so that he only does logical actions, then this criticism does not stand out and God can remain a self-limiting omnipotent being

Question 20

voluntarist criticism of self-limiting

Answer 20

a voluntarist such as descartes would argue that god does not need to self limit as he can do the logically impossible
self limiting ensures that i keep my free will, that faith is the basis of my relationship with God and that gods goals are acheived within an ordered universe
but if god is omnipotent in the voluntaristic sense then god would be able to do all these things while also breaking the laws of logic. he can do actions that take away my free will yet my free will can remain, because god can do the logically impossible

Question 21

process theology argument

Answer 21

god is not omnipotent but is still god.