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From: stuart@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Stuart Kurtz)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy,net.religion
Subject: Logical paradoxes in the notion of omnipotence?
Message-ID: <192@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Sep-84 11:40:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: gargoyle.192
Posted: Fri Sep  7 11:40:41 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Sep-84 02:54:03 EDT
References: <213@laidbak.UUCP> <1804@ucbvax.ARPA>
Organization: U. Chicago - Computer Science
Lines: 17


Wayne Christopher (faustus@ucbvax) suggests that the notion of
an omnipotent being is logically inconsistant, pointing out the
apparent paradox "Can God create a rock too heavy for Him to
lift?"

A few months ago, a suggested a simple resolution to this paradox --
Yes, because an omnipotent being should, being all powerful, be able
to limit his own power, thereby ceasing to be omnipotent.

The notion of omnipotence is certainly fraught with logical
difficulties, and some care must go into deciding what omnipotent
means.  For example, should an omnipotent entity be able to enforce a
logical contradiction, e.g. "0 = 1"?  What would it mean to have
such a contradiction enforced?

Stu