PHIL 262 Lecture 14: PHIL-262,University of Arizona,Textbook(p14)

• School: University of Arizona
• Department: Philosophy Main
• Course: PHIL 262
• Professor: All

Document Summary

God produces the best not by necessity but because he wills he wills the best through his nature. Even if god does not will something to exist, it is possible for it to exist, since, by its nature, it could exist if god were to will it to exist (no contradiction) A possible thing is something with some essence or reality, that is, something that can distinctly be understood. We can eliminate difficulties concerning the foreknowledge of future contingents . Only the proposition that god exists is necessary in an absolute sense. It is possible for the imperfect rather than the more perfect to exist. We must say that what god does not will to exist does not exist, but we must therefore deny its necessity. In his meditations, leibniz presents himself as a mediator in this essay on the knowledge of cognitio (something close to understanding, knowledge in the weak sense)