(September 26, 2018 at 8:13 pm)polymath257 Wrote:Quote:IF there seems to be a conflict between two attributes being maximally great, then by logic (which is very elusive in this conversation) it is impossible that both are maximally great in the same person. I'll remind you the topic is God being the greatest possible being--SO then one or both of those attributes are incorrectly conceived because they are not possible. In case you missed it, the key is whether something is actually possible. SO, your "it is perfectly consistent that there is no resolution" is some sort of lame attempt at skipping the reasoning and jumping to your desired conclusion.
Who said *anything* about a proof for God? I have been explaining doctrine.
So the doctrine is that there is a single version of 'greater' that applies to all virtues? How about bravery vs compassion? How about honesty vs respect?
Besides, the whole debate boils down to the existence of your fairy tale deity. In the absence of such a creature, the rest of this goes out the window.
And, again, the problem isn't the impossibility of maximal versions of each virtue (that is a separate issue). The question is the consistency between different virtues. The virtues may be possible, and even a greatest for each individual virtue, without having a single entity be maximal for *all* virtues.
And how do you know there isn't more than one 'maximum'? Again, such are quite possible and even reasonable. But you make no mention to dispense with that possibility.
There only has to be a greatest WITHIN the property for this to make sense. Your unconnected pairs do nothing to undermine the concept.
Bravery: does not apply to God.
Compassion: the greatest amount of compassion possible
Honesty: the highest possible standard
Respect: does not apply to God.
Each property has within itself the concept of what is greater. There is no external standard that has to be dreamed up. It is already there. There is no "maximal for *all* virtues." Just string the greatest possible attributes together--and then you have God.