Question for Deists

[Edwardo Piet]

Sorry Steve mate but abstract concepts aren't an example of something non-physical. Guess what concepts require? Being able to conceptualize something. Where are things conceptualized? Inside the brain.

Concepts reside within the brain physically.

[SteveII]

Do they all need a mind? Do you think that in all possible worlds (including those without minds) that if P then Q; P therefore Q would not be the case? Most think that the applicability of mathematics would exists even if a mind never contemplated them. 

Your real conundrum will be that your sole source of knowledge, science, presupposes logic, mathematics, and philosophy. If it presupposes them, where did they come from? If you say science somehow validates them, that would be question-begging. Even if you can't figure that out, the fact that science says they exists give us a clear case for their independent existence.

Logic, mathematics and philosophy are all models that science uses; models that we have created and are hence conceptual. Science doesn't say anything about the "existence" of such models. What science does is use them because they continue to produce effective results. So in that sense, science does validate them. It isn't question begging, but rather a practical necessity.

You are wrong, we did not create them (at least not logic and mathematics) and they are not models. They are abstract objects. You are right science does not say anything about them because it cannot--it simply presupposes them. It does bring up a interesting question, where did they come from?

[TheoneandonlytrueGod]

Forgive me if this question has already been covered in a thread.  I suppose I could ask it of theists too, but there meanderings are fairly stock on the subject.

*Deist God:  a mono supernatural deity that created everything and then sat back(somewhere) and let it all play out into the future on it's own with zero intervention.

My question to deists:  Where do you believe your God is?  Where is the "somewhere"?  That is, how would you locate "Him/Her" if you had to?  I am very interested to hear the answers.  Thanks!  

God is not physical so has no location in space. Omnipresence means that he is aware of every location in the universe.

Somehow your logic isn't very.

[SteveII]

Sorry Steve mate but abstract concepts aren't an example of something non-physical. Guess what concepts require? Being able to conceptualize something. Where are things conceptualized? Inside the brain.

Concepts reside within the brain physically.

You are not only wrong, you are using the wrong term. The term is abstract objects and as such are mind-independent components of reality.

[masterofpuppets]

Sorry Steve mate but abstract concepts aren't an example of something non-physical. Guess what concepts require? Being able to conceptualize something. Where are things conceptualized? Inside the brain.

Concepts reside within the brain physically.

You are not only wrong, you are using the wrong term. The term is abstract objects and as such are mind-independent components of reality.

Actually, abstract refers to that which exists only as thoughts or ideas without being part of external reality. So, when you say abstract objects are mind-independent, you're contradicting yourself.

[SteveII]

You are not only wrong, you are using the wrong term. The term is abstract objects and as such are mind-independent components of reality.

Actually, abstract refers to that which exists only as thoughts or ideas without being part of external reality. So, when you say abstract objects are mind-independent, you're contradicting yourself.

No, abstract is the opposite of concrete when you are discussing this subject and includes much more than thoughts or ideas. What does "external reality" mean? 

Abstract and concrete (German: abstrakt; konkret)[1] are classifications that denote whether a term describes an object with a physical referent or one with no physical referents. They are most commonly used in philosophy and semantics. Abstract objects are sometimes called abstracta (sing. abstractum) and concrete objects are sometimes called concreta (sing. concretum). An abstract object is an object which does not exist at any particular time or place, but rather exists as a type of thing, i.e., an idea, or abstraction.[2] The term 'abstract object' is said to have been coined by Willard Van Orman Quine.[3] The study of abstract objects is called abstract object theory. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_and_concrete

[masterofpuppets]

Actually, abstract refers to that which exists only as thoughts or ideas without being part of external reality. So, when you say abstract objects are mind-independent, you're contradicting yourself.

No, abstract is the opposite of concrete when you are discussing this subject and includes much more than thoughts or ideas. What does "external reality" mean? 

Abstract and concrete (German: abstrakt; konkret)[1] are classifications that denote whether a term describes an object with a physical referent or one with no physical referents. They are most commonly used in philosophy and semantics. Abstract objects are sometimes called abstracta (sing. abstractum) and concrete objects are sometimes called concreta (sing. concretum). An abstract object is an object which does not exist at any particular time or place, but rather exists as a type of thing, i.e., an idea, or abstraction.[2] The term 'abstract object' is said to have been coined by Willard Van Orman Quine.[3] The study of abstract objects is called abstract object theory. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_and_concrete

External reality is that which exists independent of any mind. If its existence is contingent upon minds capable of conceiving it, then it is abstract. The reference that you posted seems to agree with this.