Omnipotence and existence

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Stanisław Judycki

Abstract

Article takes up from a philosophical point of view the problem of omnipotence as an attribute of God in the tradition of so-called classical theism. It first presents the main problems that emerged in the discussion on this subject in the history of philosophy, ranging from medieval philosophy (Augustine, Peter Damian, Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus), through modern philosophy (Descartes), until modern times (e.g. J. L. Mackie, P. Geach, G. van den Brink). In the second part, the author proposes his own interpretation of omnipotence, in which omnipotence goes beyond any understanding of existence that we have. Hence, it must be assumed that God is omnipotent in an absolute sense, that is, He is able to do things that are logically impossible. Against this background, the article considers the problem of suffering, evil, and eschatological issues.

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How to Cite
Judycki, Stanisław. 2009. “Omnipotence and Existence”. Diametros, no. 21 (September):30-62. https://doi.org/10.13153/diam.21.2009.353.
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Author Biography

Stanisław Judycki

Stanisław Judycki, dr hab. prof. KUL, Wydział Filozofii KUL, Katedra Teorii Poznania.
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