Document Type
Article
Keywords
Al-Ghazālī, Avicenna, Alvin Plantinga, divine simplicity, Necessary Existent (wājib al-wujūd)
Abstract
This study considers the notion of divine simplicity, the idea that God is not a composite of more basic features, and the criticisms by al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) and Alvin Plantinga of that doctrine. What is shown is that most of the argumentation against divine simplicity frequently credited to Plantinga had been nearly perfectly anticipated by al-Ghazālī. Moreover, in responding to a stronger form of divine simplicity, which Avicenna (d. 1037) had presented, than the Thomistic version that Plantinga attacks, Ghazālī develops ‘new’ arguments and moves that are still valuable and informative to the discussion of divine simplicity today.
Publication Date
5-6-2022
Publication Title
Religious Studies
ISSN
0034-4125
E-ISSN
1469-901X
First Page
1
Last Page
13
Rights
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
DOI
10.1017/S0034412522000130
Recommended Citation
McGinnis, Jon, "Simple is as simple does: Plantinga and Ghazālī on divine simplicity" (2022). Philosophy Faculty Works. 14.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412522000130
Available at:
https://irl.umsl.edu/philosophy-faculty/14