Anselm's Proslogion | Divine Omnipotence | Philosophy Core Concepts

This is a video in my new Core Concepts series -- designed to provide students and lifelong learners a brief discussion focused on one main concept from a classic philosophical text and thinker.

This Core Concept video focuses on Anselm's work, the Proslogion, and examines his discussion of divine omnipotence in chapter 7. Anselm frames this in terms of the question of whether God is genuinely omnipotent if there are things that God cannot do. His answer involves distinguishing between power (potentia) and lack of power or impotence (impotentia).

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#Anselm #medieval #proslogion #philosophy #Christianity #theology #metaphysics #God #divinity #argument

[JoshV]

Dr. Sadler shares some insightful analysis of Anselm's take on Godly Omnipotence, and the definition of Omnipotence itself and what it means to "be powerful" in general. I particularly like the idea of the "power" of lying perverting the one who is lying and ultimately damaging them in some way. So while doing perverted things like "lying" may grant some immediate gain, in the long run it corrupts the liar and bends there will away from there nature The perversion is not making them powerful at all but rather they become enslaved by the power of the perversion. I enjoyed thinking more deeply on the definition of what it means to be "powerful" or "all powerful", words that are commonly used and perhaps not fully explored.

[SoferiaNebruin]

It sounds like true power then derives from wisdom. The "power" to do harmful things is actually lack of power due to lack of knowledge and wisdom, as well as love, since love and wisdom are intertwined....and then we can discus how social conditioning and poor education (as well as brainwashing and indoctrination) create the lack of wisdom and how to make changes to correct this. I am still working to overcome. I had to listen to this I'm understanding it some now.

[Retrogamer]

Never underestimate "faith" in the life of the human constitution. IMO.