tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post7241006386848216415..comments2024-03-27T20:37:09.185-05:00Comments on Alexander Pruss's Blog: A puzzle about being and being-causedAlexander R Prusshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-47052833029026228692016-02-08T15:09:08.950-06:002016-02-08T15:09:08.950-06:00I like that!I like that!Alexander R Prusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-64507711432020566512016-02-06T18:06:59.808-06:002016-02-06T18:06:59.808-06:00Alex,
I don't know if you intended this to be ...Alex,<br />I don't know if you intended this to be relevant, but it seems that if you are correct, this can do some work in helping with divine simplicity. <br /><br />Here is my reasoning: <br />If I understand you correctly (?) you are saying that X's existence is the same as X's being caused by the particular causes in question. Now, if that is the case, then ultimately, all of contingent reality (C)'s existence is identical to it being caused by God. But assuming God is distinct from that contingent reality, which He is if God is understood as a necessary being, then it follows that God is distinct from His causing C. This means that God would have been no different had He caused (created) something different. <br /><br />One may object and say even though God's causing C is distinct from God, it is "in" God in some way. But that won't work here either because if what you say (on my understanding) is correct, then as long as C is not in God (a part of him or whatever) then neither is God's causing C.<br /><br />I understand that you and others (e.g. Brower, Grant) have argued similarly about God's causing before. But I just thought I'd point out that your considerations in this blog post bolster that argument by giving credence to the view that X's being caused and X's existence are the same<br /><br />Any thoughts?<br />TomTomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08042627164535751118noreply@blogger.com