8

Cards (52)

  • What is the focus of the topic on the nature or attributes of God?
    It examines whether the concept of God makes sense.
  • What attributes are traditionally associated with the concept of God?
    Omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient.
  • What does the coherence of the concept of God depend on?
    It depends on the consistency of God's attributes.
  • What is Descartes' view on omnipotence?
    God can do anything, even the logically impossible.
  • How does Descartes justify the idea that logic depends on God?
    He argues that nothing exists without God's dependence.
  • What is a criticism of voluntarism regarding logical necessity?
    It undermines the concept of logical impossibility.
  • What does voluntarism claim about God's power?
    God can do the logically impossible.
  • How does voluntarism affect theodicies?
    It undermines responses to the problem of evil.
  • What is Aquinas' definition of omnipotence?
    The ability to do any logically possible thing.
  • According to Aquinas, why can't God create logically impossible things?
    Because they are not feasible or possible things.
  • What is the paradox of the stone?
    Can God create a stone too heavy to lift?
  • How does the paradox of the stone challenge Aquinas' definition of omnipotence?
    It suggests God cannot do all logically possible actions.
  • How does Descartes resolve the paradox of the stone?
    He claims God can create and lift the stone.
  • What is Mavrodes' defense of Aquinas regarding the paradox of the stone?
    The stone is logically self-contradictory for omnipotence.
  • What does self-imposed limitation suggest about God's power?
    God's limits are chosen by Himself.
  • Why might God choose to self-limit His power?
    To maintain logical order and free will.
  • What is a critique of self-imposed limitation regarding omnipotence?
    It suggests God cannot do everything He could.
  • How do voluntarists view self-imposed limitation?
    They see it as unnecessary for God's goals.
  • What dilemma does Boethius address regarding divine foreknowledge?
    How can God know our actions and we have free will?
  • What solution does Boethius propose for divine foreknowledge and free will?
    God is eternal and sees all time simultaneously.
  • What is the challenge to Boethius' solution regarding free will?
    Our actions seem fixed and inevitable.
  • How does Boethius distinguish between simple and conditional necessity?
    Conditional necessity depends on choices made.
  • What does Anselm argue about God's relationship to time?
    God is not in time but all time is in Him.
  • How does Anselm's view differ from Boethius regarding God's eternity?
    Anselm sees God as related to time, not disconnected.
  • What does Anselm mean by eternity containing all time?
    All moments of time exist within God's eternal present.
  • How does Anselm address the omniscience-free will-omnibenevolence issue?
    He claims future actions are not fixed but simultaneous.
  • What does Anselm claim about the relationship between time and eternity?
    Eternity contains all time and events.
  • What does a three-dimensional cube contain?
    One-dimensional straight lines
  • How does Anselm address the omniscience-free will-omnibenevolence issue?
    Events in eternity occur simultaneously.
  • What does Anselm say about future actions in eternity?
    They always exist in eternity.
  • How does God know our future actions according to Anselm?
    By being simultaneous with them in eternity.
  • What is the controversy surrounding Anselm's conclusion about God learning future actions?
    It challenges the concept of omniscience.
  • What does Anselm mean by "eternal present"?
    It contains all times and events simultaneously.
  • What does Anselm argue about God's knowledge of future actions?
    God knows them by being with them in eternity.
  • How does Anselm differentiate between temporal and eternal simultaneity?
    Temporal simultaneity is within time; eternal is outside time.
  • What is Kenny's critique of the eternal view of God?
    It suggests all events happen simultaneously for God.
  • What does Anselm's four-dimensionalism propose?
    It improves Boethius' position on God's perception of time.
  • What does Swinburne argue about God's existence in relation to time?
    God exists within time after creation.
  • How does Swinburne resolve the conflict between omniscience and free will?
    God knows logically possible choices, not specific actions.
  • What is Aquinas' view on the purpose of prayer?
    To obtain what God has already decided.