Gordon C. Wickersham (1926 – 2013) had bewondering voor én moeite met #Spinoza's concept of God's infinity.

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.