Metaphysics of God

What is meant by the term "God" in classical theism?

God is defined as a supremely perfect being who is omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, and eternal.

What does omnipotence mean?

Omnipotence means all-powerful — God can do anything that is logically possible.

What is a challenge to God’s omnipotence?

The paradox of the stone: Can God create a stone so heavy that He cannot lift it?

What does omniscience mean?

Omniscience means God knows all true propositions — past, present, and future.

What problem does omniscience pose for free will?

If God knows everything in advance, it seems we cannot act freely.

What does omnibenevolence mean?

God is perfectly good, morally flawless, and acts out of perfect love and justice.

What is the Euthyphro dilemma?

Is something good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good?

What is meant by God being eternal (atemporal)?

God exists outside of time — He has no beginning, end, or temporal sequence of events.

What is meant by God being everlasting (sempiternal)?

God exists within time but lasts forever, experiencing events in a sequence.

What is the difference between eternal and everlasting?

ternal means timeless; everlasting means in time but never ending.

What is the problem of evil?

If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good, why does evil exist?

What is the logical problem of evil?

The existence of evil is logically incompatible with the existence of an omnipotent, omnibenevolent God.

What is the evidential problem of evil?

The amount and kinds of evil in the world make God’s existence improbable, though not impossible.

What is the free will defence?

vil exists because God gave humans free will, which allows for the possibility of moral evil.

What is the soul-making theodicy?

Suffering helps develop moral and spiritual virtues — it is part of God's plan for human growth.

What is the ontological argument?

God is the greatest conceivable being; if He existed only in the mind, a greater being could be imagined — so He must exist in reality.

Who proposed the ontological argument?

Anselm of Canterbury.

What was Gaunilo’s criticism of Anselm’s argument?

He used the analogy of a perfect island — just because we can conceive of it doesn’t mean it exists.

What is the cosmological argument?

Everything that exists has a cause; the chain of causes cannot go back infinitely — there must be a first cause: God.

Who is most associated with the cosmological argument?

Thomas Aqunias

What is the teleological argument?

The design and order in the universe suggest a purposeful designer — God.

What is Hume’s objection to the design argument?

The analogy between the universe and human objects is weak; the universe could be the result of chance or a flawed designer.

What is the problem of religious language?

How can we meaningfully talk about God using human language if He is transcendent and beyond our experience?