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    Simplicity does not entail infinity — Carmelics
    Home/Divine Attributes
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    Simplicity does not entail infinity

    Against an attribute of GodDivine Attributes
    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    2 reasons for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    2 perspectives
    Reason for 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Aquinas's God is absolutely simple yet debates about divine infinity were historically separate and required additional arguments beyond simplicity alone.
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    • 2.If simplicity entailed infinity, the Neoplatonic One—maximally simple, beyond all composition—would be straightforwardly infinite, yet Plotinus treats the One's infinity as a distinct, separately argued property.
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    • 3.A property entailed by another requires no independent demonstration, but medieval theologians like Scotus himself offered separate proofs for infinity, showing simplicity was not considered sufficient.
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    Reason for 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.A simple entity can have a determinate, bounded essence without any internal complexity, as abstract mathematical objects like a single point are without parts yet not infinite.
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    • 2.Scotus's own haecceity doctrine establishes that intrinsic individuation is compatible with simplicity, and individuated entities are paradigmatically finite, showing simplicity permits finitude.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
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    • 1.Finitude is not the result of composition (matter limiting form)
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    • 2.An entity is finite or infinite by reason of its own intrinsic degree of perfection, not by something accidental to itself
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    Divine AttributesAgainst an attribute of God

    Related

    A property entailed by another requires no independent demonstration, but mediev...A simple entity can have a determinate, bounded essence without any internal com...An entity is finite or infinite by reason of its own intrinsic degree of perfect...Aquinas's God is absolutely simple yet debates about divine infinity were histor...
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    Finitude is not the result of composition (matter limiting form)If simplicity entailed infinity, the Neoplatonic One—maximally simple, beyond al...Scotus's own haecceity doctrine establishes that intrinsic individuation is comp...

    Similar

    The idea of God represents an actual infinity.81%God is not finite80%God is infinite79%The content of the idea of God represents infinity.78%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: duns-scotus
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    Scotus ascribes to Aquinas the following argument for the divine infinity: If a form is limited by matter, it is finite. God, being simple, is not limited by matter. Therefore, God is not finite. This, as Scotus points out, is a fallacious argument. (It’s an instance of denying the antecedent.) But even apart from the fallacy, simplicity is not going to get us infinity. As Scotus puts it: “if an entity is finite or infinite, it is so not by reason of something accidental to itself, but because i
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (2 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit