the attributes of god (lesson 5 & 6)

The Attributes of God (Lesson 5 & 6)

Omniscience & BoethiusMr. DeZilva

Philosophy of Religion 13Tuesday 26th November 2013.

List the words that we associate with attributes or characteristics of God.

Recap

God knows everything There is nothing that He cannot know God has no false beliefs; cannot be

mistaken Whatever God knows, it is true God’s knowledge includes things that are

unavailable to the human mind He knows something is going to happen

even before it happens What problems does this raise?

Omniscience

Moral Decisions◦ Gods knows in advance all the moral decisions that

people will make in their lives◦ Therefore, is there freedom of choice?◦ Is there any moral value behind a choice (e.g.

Donations) Humanity does have moral responsibility

(according to Christianity, Judaism, Islam)◦ God in Biblical scripture rewards and punishes

individuals for choices that they make◦ Islam stresses earthly life; it is a testing place

The Problem of God’s Omniscience

Friedrich Schleiermacher: argued that there is a solution to this problem of omniscience and free will◦ The Analogy of Close Friends◦ The Analogy of Directions and reliable guess

Challenge to Schleiermacher◦ God’s knowledge is infallible

Continued…

Given the idea that God is omniscience, this takes away from humanity’s ability to be held morally responsible for any acts because God has “programmed” us to act this way◦ Robot programmer example

Kant: argued that without freedom, there can be no moral choices◦ If God’s omniscience determines our

choices, can He then punish us for those choices?

Continued…

God is Atemporal◦ If God is timeless, he knows the past, present, and

future – thus, He knows all and is not confined. God is Sempiternal

◦ If God is everlasting, he only knows the past and present but, He knows our behaviour so well that he will know what we will choose to do as far as this is logically possible

◦ Swinburne: would agree with the Sempiternal perspective; we have free choice.

Answers to this problem

How would Descartes Respond? Why? How would Aquinas Respond? Why? How would Vardy Respond? Why? How would Macquarrie Respond? Why?

Note: A good way to challenge/discuss Omniscience is by looking at arguments of Omnipotence and Eternalness.

Other Responses:

Roman (480 – 524 AD) The Consolation of Philosophy Addressed the problem of

God’s omniscience. ◦ If God knows the future, then he is

wrong to reward us or punish us for our behaviour (Bible speaks about rewarding/punishing).

Boethius

“How can God foreknow that these things will happen, if they are uncertain?”◦ If God knows that something will happen, when in

fact it is uncertain, then God’s knowledge is mistaken, and that cannot possibly be.

◦ However, if God knows that something might happen, and then again it might not, then it can hardly be called “knowledge” at all.

◦ But, if God firmly knows all things, then the rewards and punishments become unfair.

Boethius continued…

God can see things in a different way Humans exist within time:

◦ A Past – Fixed once they have happened◦ A Present – Gone in an instant◦ A Future – Uncertain and forthcoming

It is because of this future why humans have genuine free will.

God does not have the same constraints that we do (not past, present, or future)◦ “His knowledge transcends all temporal change

and abides in the immediacy of his presence.”

Boethius’ Conclusion

Presents a similar argument to that of Aquinas’ man on the top of the hill

God has perfect knowledge of what we will freely choose to do, but he does not know what moral choices we will make in advance of our making them, why?◦ There is no “in advance” for God – every event

that occurs is happening simultaneously with him, in his eternal presence.

Boethius conclusion continued…

Because God does not know things in advance of them happening, it makes no sense to talk of what God should have known in the past or what God will know in the future◦ God cannot be accused of a lack of wisdom for

Adam and Eve’s choice to disobey him◦ God cannot be accused for a lack of morality in

allowing evil dictators to be born. ◦ Because there is not “future God”, we have a

genuine free choice and can be punished or rewarded justly.

What does this imply?