Array
(
    [fullTitle] => Simply Unsuccessful: The Neo-Platonic Proof of God’s Existence
    [abstract] => 
Edward Feser defends the ‘Neo-Platonic proof’ for the existence of the God of classical theism. After articulating the argument and a number of preliminaries, I first argue that premise three of Feser’s argument – the causal principle that every composite object requires a sustaining efficient cause to combine its parts – is both unjustified and dialectically ill-situated. I then argue that the Neo-Platonic proof fails to deliver the mindedness of the absolutely simple being and instead militates against its mindedness. Finally, I uncover two tensions between Trinitarianism and the Neo-Platonic proof and one tension between the Neo-Platonic proof (and, more generally, classical theism) and the incarnation.

    [authors] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [givenName] => Joseph Conrad
                    [affiliation] => Purdue University
                )

        )

    [keywords] => Array
        (
            [0] => Neo-Platonic Proof
            [1] => God
            [2] => Divine Simplicity
            [3] => Trinity
            [4] => Incarnation
        )

    [doi] => 10.24204/ejpr.2021.3412
    [datePublished] => 2021-12-29
    [pdf] => https://www.philosophy-of-religion.eu/menuscript/index.php/ejpr/article/view/3412/version/773/2852
)
"Loading..."

Simply Unsuccessful: The Neo-Platonic Proof of God’s Existence

Joseph Conrad
Purdue University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.2021.3412

Abstract

Edward Feser defends the ‘Neo-Platonic proof’ for the existence of the God of classical theism. After articulating the argument and a number of preliminaries, I first argue that premise three of Feser’s argument – the causal principle that every composite object requires a sustaining efficient cause to combine its parts – is both unjustified and dialectically ill-situated. I then argue that the Neo-Platonic proof fails to deliver the mindedness of the absolutely simple being and instead militates against its mindedness. Finally, I uncover two tensions between Trinitarianism and the Neo-Platonic proof and one tension between the Neo-Platonic proof (and, more generally, classical theism) and the incarnation.

Keywords: Neo-Platonic Proof

Download PDF