Omnipotence

Where does the idea of God being omnipotent come from?

- Bible argues that God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing) -> BUT doesn't mention omnipotence

- Forms the foundation of all ontological arguments

- Miracles + REs

- Prophet Amos speaks of a God who has total power over nature -> predates Christianity

- Is presented as an interventionist deity (e.g Abraham + Sarah)

What is the Euthyphro dilemma?

Problem concerning whether things are morally obligatory because of their nature, or because God (or gods) will them

What is an example of the Euthyphro dilemma that illustrates the problem of omnipotence?

Could God create a rock where he himself can't lift it

What is the problem with the rock example?

God either can't create the rock or he can't lift it -> is not omnipotent -> logically impossible

How can omnipotence be interpreted?

1. Concerns God's ability to do anything (including logically impossible)

2. Concerns God's ability to do what is logically possible for a perfect God to do

3. Limits himself to allow human choice + free will -> links to inconsistent triad (evil is caused by humans)

4. Omnipotence is a negative issue caused by our language

What is Descartes view of omnipotence?

- God can do anything (including logically impossible) -> what it means to be God (i.e supremely perfect being)

- Embodies all perfections -> perfect + unlimited power

According to Descartes, what is God's power beyond?

Human limits -> can change laws of physics + logic (both human limits)

Why does Descartes believe that God has complete power?

Is the source of all things logical + physical -> is his creation so has complete power

What is God's omnipotence dependent on (according to Descartes)?

What he wants to do -> Bible says that God can do anything he wants to (when speaking to Abraham) -> can do the impossible but doesn't want to

Why might God not want to do the impossible?

- Goes against his nature

- Goes against his will for humans

What did Mackie say about logical impossibilities

"Only a form of words which fails to describe any state of affairs"

- They don't happen -> God can't do them

What are other problems with Descartes' view of omnipotence?

- Turns God into an unpredictable + arbitrary tyrant -> he can no longer be relied upon (is capable of doing evil, being unforgiving, failing, being self-contradictory)

- Geach -> God has power over everything (not power to do everything) -> based on use of translated word almighty to describe God in NT

Why might someone believe that God can do what is logically possible for a perfect God to do?

God is a perfection -> can fulfil all perfections including logically consistent -> anything that we can say is logically possible is something God has the power to do

What is God limited by according to this definition of omnipotence?

The logically possible (everything else is within his grasp)

What was Aquinas' view about God's omnipotence?

- God can do what is logically possible for a perfect God

- God is omnipotent because his power is infinite -> Aquinas' 5 ways

What does Aquinas' view of God's omnipotence rely on and why?

- God as a non-physical being

- Answers many philosophical paradoxes (e.g rock) -> illogical to assume that a non-physical being should be making rocks

According to Aquinas' view of God, what can God also not do?

- Change the past -> what happened is set + would be illogical to do this (assumed time was fixed + changing historical events violates laws of time)

- Sin -> sin is caused by a lack of control over one's choices + God has all power -> cannot lose control or sin

Who supported Aquinas' view and why?

Kenny -> "consisting in the possession of all logically possible powers which it is logically possible for a being with the attributes of God to have"

What is a problem with Aquinas' view?

- If God is limited by logic, then God is not all-powerful -> logic is a human construct not a Godly one

- Has to work alongside the view of God as Atemporal, omniscient + timeless -> rooted in conflict + disagreement

- Geach -> relies on acceptance that God's nature incorporates perfection (same problem as ontological argument)

What is Vardy's view of God's omnipotence?

- God created the universe in such a way that his ability to act is necessarily limited in order for the world to function as it does

- Would disrupt balance + cause disharmony

- Could intervene but limits his power so that he can't -> has power but chooses not to act

What does Vardy say about God limiting his power?

"God is limited by the universe he has chosen to create"

Who supports Vardy and why?

Plantinga -> an omnipotent being may not have omnipotence as a necessary quality -> limits his power in certain circumstances to preserve human free will

- Macquarrie -> God isn't constrained by logic but he chooses not to intervene out of love for humanity -> why Jesus didn't display full omnipotence

What is the Christian view of God limiting his power called?

Kenosis

What is a problem with kenosis?

As a result, evil actions occur BUT could be understand the consequences of God being too involved

What is Hartshorne's view of God's omnipotence?

- Having all-power would be a negative -> becomes self-contradictory

- Using the word 'power' to describe God makes a comparison to concepts we already know

What did Hartshorne argue God's omnipotence should be defined as?

God's power can't be surpassed by any other being -> shows what he can't do, rather than what he can -> most power being but not all-powerful (limited form of omnipotence)

Who agreed with Hartshorne and why?

CS Lewis -> "meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire a meaning because we prefix to them two other words 'God can''"

-> cannot ascribe meaning to God's power by inventing words (understood in a human sense) -> beyond our understanding + will always be unknowable to us