We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
A New Paradox of Omnipotence.
- Authors
Adams, Sarah
- Abstract
In this paper, I argue that the supposition of divine omnipotence entails a contradiction: omnipotence both must and must not be intrinsic to God. Hence, traditional theism must be rejected. To begin, I separate out some theoretical distinctions needed to inform the discussion. I then advance two different arguments for the conclusion that omnipotence must be intrinsic to God; these utilise the notions of essence and aseity. Next, I argue that some necessary conditions on being omnipotent are extrinsic, and that this means omnipotence cannot be intrinsic to God. I consider three different ways of resolving this conflict, but contend that each is unsuccessful. Before concluding, I explain why the type of strategy used to resolve the traditional paradoxes of omnipotence cannot be successfully employed against the paradox presented here.
- Subjects
OMNIPOTENCE of God; PARADOX; MOTIVATION (Psychology); PHILOSOPHY of religion; THEISM
- Publication
Philosophia, 2015, Vol 43, Issue 3, p759
- ISSN
0048-3893
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11406-015-9601-y