Steeds
meer worden ook vroegere theses door universiteiten op internet gezet. Zo kwam
ik heden tegen deze MA-thesis uit 1951 van
Gordon
Clement Wickersham, Spinoza's concept of
God's infinity. MA-Thesis. Boston University, 1951 [cf. & PDF]
Ik
citeer hier zijn slotconclusie: Abstract. Interessant om te zien hoe een
christelijk gelovige niet uit de voeten kan met Spinoza’s filosofie. De
allerlaatste alinea haal ik naar voren – die verklaart mijn blogtitel. De
auteur toetst Spinoza aan “the real teachings of Christianity”, zoals hij het
in zijn thesis diverse alen verwoordt, wat uiteindelijk leidt tot
Spinoza's concept of God's infinity is perhaps the
greatest concept held about God. It is exalting to think about the Infinite
God. That Infinite God can achieve real meaning, however, only as he is the
Perfect Person. Perfect Personality does not limit the being of God. This is
the highest concept of God possible. The highest function of man is to
participate in the Infinite Love of the Infinitely Perfect Person of God.
Toen
ik verder zocht op zijn naam, stuitte ik op deze obituary En
daarna pas merkte ik - liet Google mij zien - dat ik op 8 oktober 2018 reeds ’t blog had: MA-1951-thesis over
“Spinoza's concept of God’s infinity” -#Spinoza.
Toch
haal ik zijn abstract alsnog naar binnen.
[p.
120]
ABSTRACT
The fundamental principle of the philosophy of
Benedict de Spinoza is the necessary and absolute infinity of God. He defined
God as an absolutely infinite being. This concept is the starting point of his
philosophy. All of his thinking is God-centered. The proof of his principle of
infinity is presented in the Ethics, Book I.
Spinoza began with an intuitive notion of God. He
expressed his intuitive beliefs in definitions and axioms to begin the
structure of his philosophy. The propositions and proofs which follow are
rational explanations of the intuitive definitions. The reality of God is
proven by the necessity for a First Cause, a self-caused being. The infinity of
God is affirmed because God is the only substance which can possess the
attribute of existence. There is no other being of the same kind as God; therefore
nothing exists which can limit God. All particular things flow necessarily from
the nature of God. All reality is in God. Everything that is, is God.
Once the premises of Spinoza's philosophy are granted,
the logical steps of his proof of infinity and the nature of God follow
necessarily. The geometric method makes the premises highly important. Spinoza
intuitively conceived his definition of God. From this [p. 121] definition he
proceeded to form his entire philosophy by deductive reasoning. There is
nothing which does not follow necessarily from God's nature.
The infinity of God means the complete affirmation of
all existence. Everything real is a part of God. All things are present to the
eternally perfect God. God eternally causes, by his omni potence, the r eality
of everything which is in his infinite intallect. God's power, will, and
intellect are one. God has the power to cause anything within his infinite
intellect, and necessarily wills to do so. Spinoza rejected the Cartesian idea
of creative, metaphysical cause on the grounds that it would destroy God's
omnipotence. Either God would not be able to create everything in his infinite
intellect, or, if he could do so, he would then be able to create nothing more.
Hence his infinity and omnipotence would be destroyed. Therefore Spinoza unites
will, intellect, and power. But Spinoza did not consider that an infinite
cannot be exhausted. The infinite intellect cannot be exhausted by the infinite
power. The power of the infinite is to continually create as it chooses to do
so.
Many philosophers have discussed the notion of the
infinite . Aquinas agreed with Spinoza that God is infinite. This infinity is
understood only negatively, for there is [122] no limit to his perfection.
Bruno concurs that all being proceeds from the infinite. Royce objected to the
term "infinite" as being a complete abstraction, a logical monster
without definite meaning. Infinity means inexhaustibility to Royce. Whitehead
claimed that the infinite Being achieved meaning only in the finite and
particular.
One of the chief errors in the philosophy of Spinoza
is the denial of the personality of God. Secondly, he included all things
within the nature of God, including human personality. In the necessary,
determined order of things, human personality is denied moral freedom. Errors
within the human intellect are made a part of the divine intellect. Such is not
consistent with the teaching that there is no imperfection in God.
Spinoza denied that anything can happen to frustrate
the will of God. There is no such thing as sin against God. Evil is only
negative--the absence of true knovvledge. It arises from the imaginati9on, not
reason or intuition. Spinoza denied the reality of natural evil. Things are not
evil merely because they are contrary to mans wellbeing. There is no real
natural evil for Spinoza. God had sufficient matter to create every level of
perfection. But since everything is a part of God, and God is perfect, why are
not all things perfect? Spinoza dodged any real answer to this problem. Although
he denied the reality of [122] natural evil and imperfection within God, the
notion persists. It appears to be akin to the Given as proposed by Edgar S.
Brightman to explain natural evil. Spinoza's solution for the problem of evil,
both in man and nature, [123] is not adequate. It stands as a problem to
infinity of God.
Spinoza disagreed fundamentally with Christianity. He
denied the personality of God essential to the Christian faith. He did not
comprehend the meaning of Christ's incarnation, but believed that Jesus
perceived and taught the highest truths. Spinoza objected to irrational belief
in miracles and mysteries as a basis for faith in the Infinite God. He rejected
the idea of sin, and denied the freedom of the human will to choose good or
evil. The Christian doctrine of salvation is by forgiveness of sins through
repentance and faith. Spinoza denied the possibility of sins against God, and
condemned repentance as pain, or evil resulting from fear. Spinoza and Christianity
agree that love is the highest function of God and man. But Spinoza's
intellectual love consisting in the mental comprehension of the necessary
truths of the universe is not to be compared with the glorious love of the
Christian God which is shared and reciprocated by finite men in a personal
union of spirit with the infinite God. [p. 124]
Spinoza's concept of God's infinity is perhaps the
greatest concept held about God. It is exalting to think about the Infinite
God. That Infinite God can achieve real meaning, however, only as he is the
Perfect Person. Perfect Personality does not limit the being of God. This is
the highest concept of God possible. The highest function of man is to
participate in the Infinite Love of the Infinitely Perfect Person of God.
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