Boethius and Anselm
What is the problem of God’s omniscience?
– If God knows something will happen when it is uncertain then God’s knowledge
is mistaken and he isn’t omniscient.
What is the problem if God knows that something might happen but then again it might
not?
If God knows that something might happen, and then again it might not be, then God does
not have knowledge.
What is the problem with God firmly knowing something will happen?
If God knows firmly that something will happen, then it becomes inevitable, and the future
is fixed, then he is wrong to reward us or punish us for our behaviour.
What was Boethius solution? To the omnipotent argument?
Boethius solution was to argue that God can see things in a different way from the way we
see them. Humans exist within time, pasts are fixed and futures are uncertain.
In more detail
God can see us in the present; in our pasts and in our futures, so that he has perfect
knowledge of what we will freely choose to do He does not know what moral choice we will
make in advance of our making them because there is no such things as ‘in advance’ for
God. All events occur simultaneously for God, in his eternal presence.
But why can’t we just accuse God of a lack of wisdom in nor realising that Adam and Eve
would disobey him?
God cannot be accused of a lack of wisdom in not realising that Adam and Eve would
disobey him. God does not know what we will do in the future because there is no future
for God. All time happen in simultaneity for God.
Anselm: four dimensionalist
What was Boethius’ approach to time
Boethius approach to time is presentist ,Boethius holds that here
is an absolute present. Anselm is a fourth dimensionalist and holds
the present is no more real than any other point.
What did Boethius believe about where humans live
Humans live in the present, and are constrained by space and time. But God is
timeless, just as he is space less.
What did Boethus believe about the past and future
The past and future exist in the same way as the present exists. The terms
‘yesterday’ or past or the future are just relative to the person doing the
perceiving in the same way that saying something is next to me or far away is
relative to the person in a given space.
What is the problem of God’s omniscience?
– If God knows something will happen when it is uncertain then God’s knowledge
is mistaken and he isn’t omniscient.
What is the problem if God knows that something might happen but then again it might
not?
If God knows that something might happen, and then again it might not be, then God does
not have knowledge.
What is the problem with God firmly knowing something will happen?
If God knows firmly that something will happen, then it becomes inevitable, and the future
is fixed, then he is wrong to reward us or punish us for our behaviour.
What was Boethius solution? To the omnipotent argument?
Boethius solution was to argue that God can see things in a different way from the way we
see them. Humans exist within time, pasts are fixed and futures are uncertain.
In more detail
God can see us in the present; in our pasts and in our futures, so that he has perfect
knowledge of what we will freely choose to do He does not know what moral choice we will
make in advance of our making them because there is no such things as ‘in advance’ for
God. All events occur simultaneously for God, in his eternal presence.
But why can’t we just accuse God of a lack of wisdom in nor realising that Adam and Eve
would disobey him?
God cannot be accused of a lack of wisdom in not realising that Adam and Eve would
disobey him. God does not know what we will do in the future because there is no future
for God. All time happen in simultaneity for God.
Anselm: four dimensionalist
What was Boethius’ approach to time
Boethius approach to time is presentist ,Boethius holds that here
is an absolute present. Anselm is a fourth dimensionalist and holds
the present is no more real than any other point.
What did Boethius believe about where humans live
Humans live in the present, and are constrained by space and time. But God is
timeless, just as he is space less.
What did Boethus believe about the past and future
The past and future exist in the same way as the present exists. The terms
‘yesterday’ or past or the future are just relative to the person doing the
perceiving in the same way that saying something is next to me or far away is
relative to the person in a given space.
