Peter van Inwagen - What Limits God’s Freedom?

What could limit God's freedom? If God is God, one might think the answer is nothing—it is impossible to limit God's freedom. But can God create a round square? Make the past non-existent? Can God be brave? Do evil? Sin? There seem to be many things that God cannot do, whether for reasons of logic or character. Where, then, is God's perfect freedom?


Peter van Inwagen is an American analytic philosopher and the John Cardinal O'Hara Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame.


Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[ed]

Great channel. Glad cooler heads prevailed on this episode and no one got punched in the nose.

[projectmalus]

What limits God's freedom? Being outside of the moment (if this is even possible), since the space in the moment is non-temporal, the being isn't exhausted, and the nature of the moment is not static but that of potential. Being in the moment limits freedom by not having comparison and movement.

[emperorlarsxviii]

This is like two grown men arguing about who would win in a fight between Superman and Batman.

[ingenuity]

The one limit to God's freedom is in the human mind.

[jebheadrick]

I love this video series! Definitely thought provoking, but it seems illogical, if you believe that God is infinite and omniscient, and man's intellect is finite and limited, to believe we can come to a complete and final understanding of God's freedom.
It also seems reasonable to say that the dilemma about what God can and can't do, can be solved by simply saying He can do anything, but that His character precludes Him from doing certain things.
Seems too simple, maybe I'm missing something?

[Vacidity]

I think God can change... I hope it can

[grnDestiny]

I would also like to say the buddhists say everything is a lesson .... you are here to learn the lessons, you will forget this but remember it when you need too

[JAYDUBYAH]

A variation on the old conundrum: what limits how fast Santa’s reindeers can fly? The answer of course is how much Santa has been sticking to his diet and exercise!

[lauterunvollkommenheit]

Doesn't it take an inordinate amount of hubris to talk about what God can or can't do?

[mehdibaghbadran]

God have different choices, but none of them is outside of his rules, the god’s which we know has to be a real god which can do in his own ways, to sorting the problems, god’s must love all his children’s even if they doesn’t listen to him

[johnwhorfin]

if a person ( or god ) has "ability" this means they have freedom - their actions are not determined by restrictive chains of cause-and-effect. Why would God do one thing but not another? This would have to be based upon having a limited understanding or limited motivations or limited power.

[grnDestiny]

I like the one I think Robert came up with, can god turn a square into circle? I think your ‘more enlightened’ than your guest here

[ahmadfarrag]

There is no god but He - the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him Nor Sleep. His are all things In the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede In His presence except As he permitteth? He knoweth What (appeareth to His creatures As) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they encompass Aught of his knowledge Except as He willeth. His throne doth extend Over the heavens And on earth, and He feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them, For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory)."

[TheStobb]

How do we know God can’t change the past he might of already done it we wouldn’t know

[randyravenscraft]

Here’s how I see it- there are two reasons people don’t do something: either because they can’t, or because they won’t. Can’t means it’s physically impossible. Won’t means it’s a choice. Same with God.

[benitojohngenitojr.]

GOD has also HIS Freedom to do What HE Wants to do, and Also the Devil and also Human Beings

[k]

I find this whole discussion very disturbing.
First of all it would have been prudent to give a definition for the God that you are enlightening us about.
What is your God?
The discussion is giving "my" God, very human characteristics. This is wrong. Does God lie? Can God lie? Can He choose to lie?
These are all human traits! God is not human.

My God is the the Creator of the whole Universe. He has Created all the laws of Nature. Now the only constraint that God has is that once the Laws are in place/been initiated at the moment of the Creation of the Universe, then God, Himself does not break those Laws.
The Laws of Nature, once written, never change.
It is our concept of God that is at fault.

[jeremiahmiller]

1:10 ( - 1:37 ) Logically fallacious to equate this with lack of freedom -just because one chooses (note the word choose*) to do no evil, alone, doesn't prove that the said one could not choose to do so.

Concerning God's level of freedom, referring to God in His most accurate definition, one of many beings who have all been fully re-annexed by the one omniscient consciousness, He is fully free, for He possesses a fullness of knowledge, specifically all truth, and is consequently omnipotent, and therefore fully free -however, by virtue of His intelligence, He is too intelligent to break the universal laws that are attached to His current full level of intelligence, so is He actually free to do evil, hmm, good question

[michaelp]

One ought not to analyse God's attributes using a human model.

[cvsree]

God is the only one free.
We are all destined to die.
Even the universe has an end.
To be free of death, we need to seek EGOs death.