Poly(?)theism(?). The Polytheistic Notion of God and Philosophical Judgment of Polytheism
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Abstract
In social consciousness, polytheistic religions are considered "less mature" than other types of religious beliefs. In older scientific works an explicitly accepted gradation of religions can be found, which places polytheism lower than monotheism. The claim that the multiple gods exist, however, is irrational only from the perspective of monotheistic theology and the vision of the world embraced by it. In fact, interesting metaphysical assumptions can be abstracted from polytheistic beliefs, and they are also capable of producing a rich, rational theology. In this article, I will try to defend polytheism against the allegations of its philosophical idleness. First, I will try to point out some misunderstandings in the common interpretation of polytheism, then I will present the differences in the mono- and polytheistic understanding of the concept of god, in order to finally present possible strategies to justify belief in the personal and intentional nature of gods.
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