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A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:13 pm
Is there anything wrong with a Necessary Being per se?
Is there really anything incoherent or illogical about the very concept of a Necessary Being? In other words, can anyone come up with reasons why a Necessary Being is impossible? Or have we now accepted that it is certainly possible for there to be a Necessary Being?
By "Necessary Being," I mean something that cannot not exist. In other words, "existence" is in the very essence/definition of that thing.
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RE: A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:37 pm
(August 29, 2016 at 4:13 pm)TheMuslim Wrote: Is there anything wrong with a Necessary Being per se?
Is there really anything incoherent or illogical about the very concept of a Necessary Being? In other words, can anyone come up with reasons why a Necessary Being is impossible? Or have we now accepted that it is certainly possible for there to be a Necessary Being?
By "Necessary Being," I mean something that cannot not exist. In other words, "existence" is in the very essence/definition of that thing.
Why "being"?
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RE: A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:44 pm
"Being" means existing in space and time which of course implied an inevitable ending.
A "necessary" being suggest an existence beyond the normal parameters given above, mere metaphysical speculation...though I'd enjoy pondering an argument for.
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RE: A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:47 pm
(August 29, 2016 at 4:37 pm)Irrational Wrote: (August 29, 2016 at 4:13 pm)TheMuslim Wrote: Is there anything wrong with a Necessary Being per se?
Is there really anything incoherent or illogical about the very concept of a Necessary Being? In other words, can anyone come up with reasons why a Necessary Being is impossible? Or have we now accepted that it is certainly possible for there to be a Necessary Being?
By "Necessary Being," I mean something that cannot not exist. In other words, "existence" is in the very essence/definition of that thing.
Why "being"?
By "being," I mean "something that exists." That's one of the official definitions for the word "being" according to Merriam-Webster.
I've thought about using some other term, such as "Necessary Existent," but the most popular terminology for "something which cannot not exist" is "Necessary Being," so I stuck with that.
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RE: A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:47 pm
(August 29, 2016 at 4:13 pm)TheMuslim Wrote: Is there anything wrong with a Necessary Being per se?
Is there really anything incoherent or illogical about the very concept of a Necessary Being? In other words, can anyone come up with reasons why a Necessary Being is impossible? Or have we now accepted that it is certainly possible for there to be a Necessary Being?
By "Necessary Being," I mean something that cannot not exist. In other words, "existence" is in the very essence/definition of that thing.
I don't know all the ins and outs of existence so I'd have to say I don't know the answer to the question.
I was considering not replying at all but that might look ignorant.
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RE: A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:49 pm
(This post was last modified: August 29, 2016 at 5:00 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
(August 29, 2016 at 4:13 pm)TheMuslim Wrote: Is there anything wrong with a Necessary Being per se? -ish. The problems with the concept are today what the problems with the concept have always been.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/god-necessary-being/
Quote:Is there really anything incoherent or illogical about the very concept of a Necessary Being?
Not that I can think of, but I'm not sure this tells us much. Consider the following.
All keyboards are items made of spruce.
All items made of spruce are time travel devices
Therefore all keyboards are time travel devices.
The concept of keyboards-as-time travel devices is, thusly demonstrated, neither an illogical nor incoherent concept (these terms are redundant in context). Is that the sort of thing you're aiming for with a necessary being?
Quote:In other words, can anyone come up with reasons why a Necessary Being is impossible? Or have we now accepted that it is certainly possible for there to be a Necessary Being?
That would be a different question altogether, not the same question in other words. Something need not be impossible to be illogical or incoherent. Something may be possible without it being logical or coherent. As above, however, possibility doesn't tell us much...and the preceding comments are why possibility..on it's own, isn't all that informative with regards to the others.
Quote:By "Necessary Being," I mean something that cannot not exist. In other words, "existence" is in the very essence/definition of that thing.
Chances are..the worst problems will arise in what you attempt to -do- with that concept, or how you have arrived upon it as a conclusion.
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RE: A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:50 pm
(This post was last modified: August 29, 2016 at 4:52 pm by TheMuslim.)
(August 29, 2016 at 4:47 pm)paulpablo Wrote: (August 29, 2016 at 4:13 pm)TheMuslim Wrote: Is there anything wrong with a Necessary Being per se?
Is there really anything incoherent or illogical about the very concept of a Necessary Being? In other words, can anyone come up with reasons why a Necessary Being is impossible? Or have we now accepted that it is certainly possible for there to be a Necessary Being?
By "Necessary Being," I mean something that cannot not exist. In other words, "existence" is in the very essence/definition of that thing.
I don't know all the ins and outs of existence so I'd have to say I don't know the answer to the question.
I was considering not replying at all but that might look ignorant.
You don't have be omniscient to find problems with philosophical concepts. Kant, Hume, and many other philosophers have found logical problems in many concepts. So I was wondering if there was any inherently logical problems with the concept of a Necessary Being.
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RE: A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:51 pm
(August 29, 2016 at 4:13 pm)TheMuslim Wrote: Is there anything wrong with a Necessary Being per se?
Is there really anything incoherent or illogical about the very concept of a Necessary Being? In other words, can anyone come up with reasons why a Necessary Being is impossible? Or have we now accepted that it is certainly possible for there to be a Necessary Being?
By "Necessary Being," I mean something that cannot not exist. In other words, "existence" is in the very essence/definition of that thing.
Can anyone show what exactly such a being would be necessary for?
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RE: A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:53 pm
(This post was last modified: August 29, 2016 at 4:53 pm by robvalue.)
Anything wrong with it? You just made it up. What use is such a concept unless you can demonstrate it has anything to do with reality?
Logical consistency does not imply existence.
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RE: A Necessary Being?
August 29, 2016 at 4:56 pm
(This post was last modified: August 29, 2016 at 5:24 pm by TheMuslim.)
No need to get all worked up, fellas. I did not say or imply anything about whether a Necessary Being actually exists. In this thread, I am not trying to prove or assert that a Necessary Being exists. I am simply wondering if the very concept of a Necessary Being is logically impossible.
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