Simply Impossible: A Case Against Divine Simplicity

Journal of Reformed Theology 7 (2):181-203 (2013)
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Abstract

Within contemporary philosophical theology the doctrine of divine simplicity has regained attention. There are several new defenses of simplicity in the literature. One of the more surprising, and troubling, aspects of the contemporary defenses amongst Christian philosophers and theologians is a seeming lack of understanding about how radical the doctrine of divine simplicity truly is. As such, I wish to do a few things in this paper. First, systematically articulate the doctrine of divine simplicity. Second, argue that divine simplicity is not a possible perfection. Third, offer some concluding remarks and remaining issues that will need to be sorted out for the debate over simplicity to continue.

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R. T. Mullins
Palm Beach Atlantic College

Citations of this work

The fruitful death of modal collapse arguments.Joseph C. Schmid - 2021 - International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 91 (1):3-22.
Divine Simplicity.William F. Vallicella - 2019 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Modal Collapse and Modal Fallacies: No Easy Defense of Simplicity.John William Waldrop - 2022 - American Philosophical Quarterly 59 (2):161-179.

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References found in this work

Aquinas.Eleonore Stump - 2003 - New York: Routledge.
Simplicity and aseity.Jeffrey E. Brower - 2008 - In Thomas P. Flint & Michael Rea (eds.), The Oxford handbook of philosophical theology. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 105-28.
Making Sense of Divine Simplicity.Jeffrey E. Brower - 2008 - Faith and Philosophy 25 (1):3-30.
Absolute Simplicity.Eleonore Stump & Norman Kretzmann - 1985 - Faith and Philosophy 2 (4):353-382.
On Two Problems of Divine Simplicity.Alexander Pruss - 2008 - Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion 1:150-167.

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