1 of 1- seigneur
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What is classical theism according to you?
In this thread, formulate your metaphysical axioms, your list of unquestionable dogmas or your mission statement (these are all synonyms for the purposes of this thread) in terms of classical theism. Give your classical theism an expression as concisely and at the same time as exhaustively as you can. I start.
According the principle of parsimony (a.k.a. Occam's razor), the simplest explanation is the best. It must be both simple and an explanation. The doctrine of divine simplicity is the simplest explanation with the greatest explanatory scope possible. The doctrine should be understood ontologically, as descriptive of reality.
Reality comes to the individual in relative degrees. Some things are more real than others, such as dreams compared to the waking experience. This is the distinction of appearance and reality. In this sense, perceived things are only an appearance, but it is an appearance of something, namely of reality.
The ultimate reality is just one, equivalent to absolute existence. Multitudes of beings and objects are subdivisions of it. This does not mean that all lesser existents are equivalent to the ultimate reality or to existence itself. In mathematics, no subdivision of the number line is equivalent to the number line itself, which is infinite.
In some contexts, apparent categories and hierarchies of the universe can be understood as an illustration, analogy or approximation of reality (such as the distinction of relative and absolute, the comparison of dreams versus waking, and the illustration from mathematics in this post), but they should never be mistaken for reality itself. Even though reality is just one, it requires active discernment to not mistake its subdivisions, limitations, misperceptions, etc. for the whole. Discernment is between reality and appearance.
Some authorities that have made a difference to me:
Plotinus, Enneads
John of Ruysbroeck, The Book of the Supreme Truth
Gaudapada, Mandukya Karika
(This thread is meant to be non-disputative. I only put up this opening post in this thread. Other participants are free to take the thread anywhere they like, but I will keep to my original intent.)
- John West
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Re: What is classical theism according to you?
This post is a good idea.
- DanielCC
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Re: What is classical theism according to you?
I agree with John.
Rather than give a list of semi-formalised axioms I'm going to go for some 'mission statement' points:
1. God is Perfection - if Perfection could submit even to the possibility of limitation or non-existence then it would be only 'Perfection'. To grasp this truth is to become aware of most fundamental aspect of Reality. This is why I would give the Ontological Proof pride of place amongst the arguments of Natural Theology
2a.'Being' when understood as synonymous with 'entity' i.e. 'is a being' is a predicate of Formal Ontology and takes in the whole of logical space applying equally to God and everything else. This does not detract from the Divine Transcendence because we know A. from the Material Ontology involved (e.g. Divine Simplicity) that the Deity is a radically unique kind of entity and B. in fact that there are only other entities as far as they are God-like, that is that they are finite and limited partakers in the Divine Nature.
2a.Reality can be roughly divided into a three-tier structure with the existence of particular beings anchored in the existence of the relevant universals and the existence of universals grounded in the Divine Nature.
3c.Without God nothing could exist. Without God no being would even be possible. It is because of these that God is called the Ground of Being.
3. We must distinguish between the Theist Personalist trend in Modern Philosophy of Religion and the Leibnizian trend, both of which are often united in the one individual. The former is foolish the latter admirable.
3a. Much of traditional natural theology offers causal explanations- e.g. for the universe’s existence and ability to host our sort of life. But a less-remarked strand offers ontological explanations, claiming that theories involving God are the best answers to ontological questions. – Brian Leftow
The latter is the higher avenue of Natural Theology, the more difficult and arduous avenue to be sure but the one which brings us closest to knowing the Divine Nature. If Thomists don’t like this so much the worst for them.
Last edited by DanielCC (8/18/2015 1:30 pm)
- iwpoe
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Re: What is classical theism according to you?
Classical Theism via negativa (I imagine I could collapse most negations into the first if I wished):
1. God is not complex.
2. There are no real distinctions within the nature of God.
3. There is not a real essence-energies distinction in the nature of God.
4. God is not in time.
5. God is not dependent.
6. God does not change.
7. God does not experience emotions.
8. There is no actual or potential power that God cannot exercise.
9. God is in no way ignorant.
10. God is in no way evil.
11. There is nothing that isn't dependent upon god.
12. The picture of God in the bible or other major religious traditions is either false or should not be taken as a literal description of God's character.
I'm inclined to add platonic negations but some of these may be controversial (especially antinominalism):
13. Materialism is false: it is false the the only things that exist are bodies and their properties.
14. It is not the case that the only explanations available are mechanical and, usually, this amounts to a claim that "the causal closure principle" is false and physical or material causes are not necessary and sufficient to account for all events in the physical world. It, however, would also amount to the claim that occasionalism is false.
15. Nominalism is false: it is false that the only things that exist are individuals, each uniquly situated in space and time.
16. Epistemological and moral relativism are false.
17. It is not the case that knowledge is impossible.
Last edited by iwpoe (8/24/2015 1:33 pm)
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- Greg
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Re: What is classical theism according to you?
To be pithy: Classical theism is the view that God is the ontological ground of everything that exists and that, to serve this role, God must differ in kind from creation (being simple and uncaused).
Those are what I take to be the two most essential points, on which the rest turn: God is metaphysically ultimate and differs in kind. They account for what classical theists take to be the virtues of their position (it doesn't rely on an ad hoc preanalytic conception of "deity" or "supernatural", it explains why God can't be treated like the rest of creation, it provides a framework for talking about divine attributes, etc.).
Last edited by Greg (8/21/2015 6:37 am)
- DanielCC
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Re: What is classical theism according to you?
Yes, we should add that Classical Theism takes it that God is a metaphysically/broadly logically necessary being. I wouldn’t have felt it necessary to mention that but unfortunately was pointedly reminded of the existence of Richard Swinburne a couple of days ago.
(I have seen too many online debates where the atheist attributes to the theist a position that latter would never accept and when challenged about doing so respond by throwing up their hands and exclaiming ‘But Richard Swinburne thinks…’)