Philo 9 (1):62-72 (2006)
Authors |
|
Abstract |
In this paper I present two new arguments against the possibility of an omniscient being. My new arguments invoke considerations of cardinality and resemble several arguments originally presented by Patrick Grim. Like Grim, I give reasons to believe that there must be more objects in the universe than there are beliefs. However, my arguments will rely on certain mereological claims, namely that Classical Extensional Mereology is necessarily true of the part-whole relation. My first argument is an instance of a problem first noted by Gideon Rosen and requires an additional assumption about the mereological structure of certain beliefs. That assumption is that an omniscient being’s beliefs are mereological simples. However, this assumption is dropped when I present my second argument. Thus, I hope to show that if Classical Extensional Mereology is true of the part-whole relation, there cannot be an omniscient being
|
Keywords | Mereology Unrestricted Composition Omniscience God Propositions Cardinality |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
ISBN(s) | 1098-3570 |
DOI | 10.5840/philo2006916 |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
Naming and Necessity.Saul Kripke - 2003 - In John Heil (ed.), Philosophy of Mind: A Guide and Anthology. Oxford University Press.
View all 21 references / Add more references
Citations of this work BETA
Problems with Plurals.Joshua Rasmussen & Alexander R. Pruss - 2015 - Oxford Studies in Metaphysics 9.
Similar books and articles
Mereology and Modality.Gabriel Uzquiano - 2014 - In Shieva Kleinschmidt (ed.), Mereology and Location. Oxford University Press. pp. 33-56.
On Whitcomb's Grounding Argument for Atheism.Daniel Howard-Snyder, Joshua Rasmussen & Andrew Cullison - 2013 - Faith and Philosophy 30 (2):198-204.
Debunking a Mereological Myth: If Composition as Identity is True, Universalism Need Not Be.Nikk Effingham - unknown
Divine Omnipotence and Divine Omniscience: A Reply to Michael Martin.Noreen E. Johnson - 2007 - Sophia 46 (1):69-73.
Modal Mereology and Modal Supervenience.Sean Drysdale Walsh - 2012 - Philosophical Studies 159 (1):1-20.
Wholes and Parts: The Limits of Composition.D. H. Mellor - 2006 - South African Journal of Philosophy 25 (2):138-145.
Possibly V. Actually the Case: Davidson’s Omniscient Interpreter at Twenty.Nathaniel Goldberg - 2003 - Acta Analytica 18 (1-2):143-160.
Using Mereological Principles to Support Metaphysics.Maureen Donnelly - 2011 - Philosophical Quarterly 61 (243):225-246.
De Se Knowledge and the Possibility of an Omniscient Being.Stephan Torre - 2006 - Faith and Philosophy 23 (2):191-200.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2011-01-09
Total views
297 ( #35,666 of 2,506,112 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
17 ( #49,569 of 2,506,112 )
2011-01-09
Total views
297 ( #35,666 of 2,506,112 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
17 ( #49,569 of 2,506,112 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads