The Nature or Attributes of God

• What is the main topic of the Nature and Attributes of God summary notes?

  The coherence of the concept of God and whether it makes sense.
• What traditional attributes are argued for God in this topic?

  Omnipotence, omnibenevolence, and omniscience.
• What is the central question regarding God's attributes?


  Whether those attributes make sense in themselves and if there is a conflict between them.
• According to Descartes, what does omnipotence mean?

  Being able to do the logically impossible.
• What example does Descartes give to illustrate omnipotence?

  God could have made it false that \(4 + 4 = 8\).
• How does Descartes view the relationship between God and logic?

  God created everything, including logic, and is not bound by it.
• What is a strength of Descartes' approach to omnipotence?

  He has no issue with the paradox of the stone.
• What is a common objection to Descartes' theory of omnipotence?


  If God can do the logically impossible, then it is not impossible.
• How does Descartes' view of omnipotence affect the logical problem of evil?


  It undermines the defense of God against the logical problem of evil.
• According to Aquinas, what does omnipotence mean?

  Being able to do every logically possible thing.
• What is Aquinas' argument based on regarding God's power?

  God's power is part of his perfect being.
• Why does Aquinas argue that God cannot do illogical things?

  Because illogical things involve a contradiction and are imperfect.
• What is the paradox of the stone related to Aquinas' definition of omnipotence?


  Can God create a stone so heavy that he cannot lift it?
• How does Mavrodes defend Aquinas against the paradox of the stone?

  He argues that the stone is an impossible object.
• What is a criticism of Vardy's theory of self-imposed limitation on God's power?


  It sounds illogical for an unlimited being to limit itself.
• What does Boethius identify as a potential problem with God's omniscience?


  It seems to undermine free will.
• How does Boethius propose to solve the conflict between God's omniscience and free will?

  By suggesting that God is eternal and outside of time.
• What is a counterargument to Boethius' solution regarding God's knowledge and free will?


  God's knowledge makes our actions fixed and necessary.
• What distinction does Boethius make to defend his view on necessity and free will?

  He distinguishes between simple and conditional necessity.
• How does Anselm improve upon Boethius' view of God's eternity?


  By explaining how God could act upon time while being eternal.
• What is Kenny's critique of the eternal view of God?

  It makes no sense because events in time are not all happening in one moment.
• How can Anselm respond to Kenny's critique regarding the simultaneity of events in time?

  He can argue that within eternity, all events are simultaneous.
• What are the key attributes of God discussed in the Nature and Attributes of God topic?

  • Omnipotence: All-powerful
  • Omnibenevolence: All-loving
  • Omniscience: All-knowing
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Descartes' view of omnipotence?


  Strengths:

  • Allows for the possibility of God doing the logically impossible.
  • Addresses the paradox of the stone.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Makes the concept of logical impossibility meaningless.
  • Undermines defenses against the logical problem of evil.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Aquinas' view of omnipotence?

  Strengths:

  • Aligns with the idea of God as a perfect being.
  • Avoids the paradox of the stone by defining omnipotence as the ability to do logically possible things.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Faces the paradox of the stone as a challenge to its definition.
• What are the implications of Boethius' and Anselm's views on God's relationship with time?

  • Boethius: God is eternal and sees all time at once, allowing for free will.
  • Anselm: God is not in time, but all moments of time are contained within God, allowing for divine action in time.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Vardy's theory of self-imposed limitation on God's power?


  Strengths:

  • Provides a rationale for God's adherence to logic and free will.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Suggests an unlimited being can limit itself, which is contradictory.
• What is Anselm's proposal regarding time and divine eternity?


  All moments of time are contained within the one eternally present moment of divine eternity.
• How does Anselm's view of God's knowledge of future actions differ from Boethius' view?

  Anselm believes God knows our future actions by being with them in divine eternity, while Boethius suggests God observes them from outside of time.
• What is Kenny's critique of the eternal view of God?

  Kenny argues that if God sees all events in one moment, he cannot see them correctly since some events necessarily happen before others.
• How does Anselm respond to Kenny's critique regarding non-simultaneous events?


  Anselm argues that while events may be non-simultaneous in time, they are simultaneous in eternity.
• What does Anselm mean by 't-simultaneity' and 'e-simultaneity'?


  'T-simultaneity' refers to the simultaneity of events within time, while 'e-simultaneity' refers to the simultaneity of events within eternity.
• What is the main argument of Anselm regarding the compatibility of omniscience and free will?

  • Anselm defends that God can know all future actions without determining them.
  • Events can be non-simultaneous in time but simultaneous in eternity.
  • God's knowledge of future actions does not negate free will.
• What is Swinburne's view on God's knowledge of future actions?

  Swinburne claims that God is everlasting within time and does not know what we will do next.
• How does Swinburne define omniscience?


  Omniscience means knowing everything that can be known, but future actions of genuinely free creatures cannot be known.
• What is the biblical counter to Swinburne's view on God's knowledge of future actions?

  The Bible presents instances where God knows future actions, such as Jesus predicting Judas' betrayal.
• How does Swinburne compare God's knowledge to a parent's knowledge of their child?

  Swinburne suggests that God knows us well enough to predict our actions, but does not know them with absolute certainty.
• What is Aquinas' view of omnipotence?

  Aquinas believes omnipotence means the power to do any logically possible action.
• What is the paradox of the stone related to omnipotence?

  The paradox questions whether God can create a stone too heavy for him to lift, suggesting limitations to omnipotence.
• How does Descartes' view of omnipotence differ from Aquinas' view?


  Descartes believes God can do the logically impossible, while Aquinas restricts omnipotence to logically possible actions.