Simple is as simple does: Plantinga and Ghazālī on divine simplicity

This study considers the notion of divine simplicity, the idea that God is not a composite of more basic features, and the criticisms by al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) and Alvin Plantinga of that doctrine. What is shown is that most of the argumentation against divine simplicity frequently credited to Plantin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Religious studies
Main Author: McGinnis, Jon (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Cambridge Univ. Press 2022
In: Religious studies
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Ġazzālī, Abū-Ḥāmid Muḥammad Ibn-Muḥammad al- 1058-1111 / Plantinga, Alvin 1932- / Simplicity of God / Ens necessarium
RelBib Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
NBC Doctrine of God
Further subjects:B Avicenna
B Divine Simplicity
B Necessary Existent (wājib al-wujūd)
B al-Ghazālī
B Alvin Plantinga
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Summary:This study considers the notion of divine simplicity, the idea that God is not a composite of more basic features, and the criticisms by al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) and Alvin Plantinga of that doctrine. What is shown is that most of the argumentation against divine simplicity frequently credited to Plantinga had been nearly perfectly anticipated by al-Ghazālī. Moreover, in responding to a stronger form of divine simplicity, which Avicenna (d. 1037) had presented, than the Thomistic version that Plantinga attacks, Ghazālī develops ‘new’ arguments and moves that are still valuable and informative to the discussion of divine simplicity today.
ISSN:1469-901X
Contains:Enthalten in: Religious studies
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/S0034412522000130