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Description
Flashcards by yasmin kongsfelt, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by yasmin kongsfelt
over 6 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| Analogy | CONTENT: AQUINAS - the analogy of attribution and the analogy of proportion Ian RAMSEY - models and qualifiers Strengths and weaknesses of the argument |
| AQUINAS | AQUINAS argued that we can not use everyday language to describe God - because we are imperfect beings using imperfect language to describe a perfect God. Argued God is pure actuality and that humans (God’s creation) are potentiality. He rejected the univocal and equivocal language |
| Analogy of attribution | words that we apply to human beings are related to how words are applied to God. “God is wise… we imitate to some extent the power by which He makes us wise.” Example: Bull’s urine |
| Analogy of proportion | the extent to which a being can be said to have certain properties is in proportion to the type of being we are describing. John HICK: an example of faithfulness |
| further development of analogy of proportion | we possess qualities like those of God (goodness, wisdom etc) because we were created in his image and likeness, but because we are inferior to God, we possess those qualities in lesser proportion to God. |
| Vincent BRUMMER response | analogy gives the appearance of saying something about God but actually does not. We know God is not good in human terms but what does it mean to be good in an infinite way that is 'in proportion' to God's being |
| Ian RAMSEY - model and qualifiers | MODELS - characteristics we can know from experience QUALIFIERS - the extent to which something is applied example - a skill of an animal is different to a skill of a human |
| RAMSEY explained | The phrase 'Heavenly father' the word 'father' is a model that helps us to understand the concept of God. the word 'Heavenly' is a qualifier, we must not understand God as an earthly father, as he is a very different type of father. |
| Strengths - link to univocal and equivocal language | - Avoids anthropomorphizing him with univocal language - Not equivocal which avoids agnosticism (idea that his nature cannot be known) |
| Weaknesses - qualities | AQUINAS only picks the good qualities and not others. The world also comprises evil, does God possess these qualities as well. |
| Weaknesses - analogy and verification | AQUINAS tries to create a bridge between the known and the unknown… but you cannot speak meaningfully about something without having empirical experience of it. AYER - analogical statements referring to God is impossible to verify |
| AQUINAS' response | Analogy is very valuable for people already in the religious language game, people who believe. It can help them make sense of a concept that really is beyond human comprehension and would work as a great aid to faith |
| Critics - HUME | DAVID HUME - we cannot use an analogy to compare two dissimilar things - 'the world is more like a cabbage' - the world is not like a machine |
| Critics - BLACKSTONE | William BLACKSTONE - all analogy must be translated into univocal language - since no models or characteristics can have literal meaning when talking about God, then we cannot use analogy. |
| Evaluating analogy of attributions - EVENS - NEITZSCHE - MILL | - Stephen EVENS - isn't much we can learn about God from the world. example of the baker and the bread - we cannot learn much about the baker from the bread, apart from his skill as a baker. - Friedrick NIETZSCHE - a broken world would suggest an imcompetent God - J.S. MILL - nature is cruel which would suggest a cruel creator |
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