The Divine Fractal: 1st Order Extensional Theology

Philosophia 50 (1):285-305 (2021)
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Abstract

In this paper, I present what I call the symmetry conception of God within 1st order, extensional, non-well-founded set theory. The symmetry conception comes in two versions. According to the first, God is that unique being that is universally symmetrical with respect to set membership. According to the second, God is the universally symmetrical set of all sets that are universally symmetrical with respect to set membership. I present a number of theorems, most importantly that any universally symmetrical set is identical to its essence, that show that the two symmetry conceptions intersect with some dominant theological conceptions of God. The theorems also show that both of the symmetry conceptions of God entail that God has a fractal like structure.

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Paul Studtmann
Davidson College

Citations of this work

God and the Numbers.Paul Studtmann - 2023 - Journal of Philosophy 120 (12):641-655.

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References found in this work

The Nature of Necessity.Alvin Plantinga - 1974 - Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
On Denoting.Bertrand Russell - 1905 - Mind 14 (56):479-493.
Free logic.John Nolt - 2021 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Anselm and actuality.David K. Lewis - 1970 - Noûs 4 (2):175-188.
More is different.P. W. Anderson - 1994 - In H. Gutfreund & G. Toulouse, Biology and Computation: A Physicist's Choice. World Scientific. pp. 3--21.

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