A definition can be theoretically adequate by specifying what suffices for omnipotence without also capturing every necessary condition, as Aquinas's power-based accounts similarly proceed.

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Reasons For

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Reason for

1.Definitions often succeed by identifying sufficient conditions without exhausting necessity (e.g., 'bachelor' via unmarried male).
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2.Aquinas's account proves that power-based definitions of omnipotence are historically viable and theologically productive.
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3.Theoretical adequacy for attributes like omnipotence requires functional clarity, not metaphysical completeness of all conditions.
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Reasons Against

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Reason against

1.Omnipotence differs from ordinary concepts: it's maximally normative, requiring necessary conditions to avoid incoherence.
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2.A definition missing necessary conditions for omnipotence risks falsely attributing the property to non-omnipotent beings.
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3.Aquinas's account itself claims to capture essential features of omnipotence, not merely sufficient practical conditions.
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Key Terms

Aquinas: Thomas Aquinas was a medieval Italian priest and philosopher (1225-1274) who became one of the most influential thinkers in Western history. He attempted to show that Christian faith and human reason are compatible, arguing that we can use logic and observation to understand God and the natural world. His ideas deeply shaped Catholic theology and continue to influence how religious and secular institutions think about ethics, knowledge, and the relationship between science and belief.
Power-based accounts(as used in theology and philosophy of religion): Explanations or theories that define something (like God's omnipotence) by focusing on what powers or abilities it has, rather than other features.
Theoretically adequate(as used in evaluating philosophical arguments): Good enough or sufficient from a logical standpoint, even if it might not be perfect in every way.
definition(Standard philosophical conception of what a definition must accomplish): Something that provides necessary and sufficient conditions for some thing x to be F
necessary condition(Counterfactual analysis of causation; Mackie 1965, 1974): A condition C is necessary for event E if E would not have occurred in the absence of C
omnipotence(Bruno's theological framework): God's primary attribute as designated by the Apostles' Creed, entailing that all possibilities are actualized
sufficient condition(Used in the context of whether intrinsic properties can define species membership): A property whose presence guarantees membership in or applicability of a category, such that having the property entails belonging to the species or class

Connections

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Divine Attributes1 linked

A definition missing necessary conditions for omnipotence risks falsely attribut...Aquinas's account itself claims to capture essential features of omnipotence, no...Aquinas's account proves that power-based definitions of omnipotence are histori...Definitions often succeed by identifying sufficient conditions without exhaustin...

Details

Type: claim
Perspectives: 2 (1 for, 1 against)
Edits: 1 edit