Q&A: Omniscience and Omnipotence
Omniscience and Omnipotence
Question
It is commonly accepted among us that God knows everything and can do anything.
Is there a philosophical basis for this?
I assume that we know He created the world (because of the argument from causality), and even that He did so out of free will and not in a deterministic way. But that only shows that He could begin the chain of causes that created the world. It does not mean that He has control over it or that He knew where it would deteriorate to.
So what, if anything, is the philosophical root of these basic beliefs?
Answer
There is some philosophical basis for this, but of course one can always argue. A reasonable assumption is that any being that is not perfect and not all-powerful requires a cause outside itself. Therefore, at the end of the chain there must be a being without limitations. Beyond that, why should it stop דווקא at some particular level of power X?
There are of course also verses that hint at this as well (and again, one can always force an alternative reading): “Is anything too wondrous for the Lord?” “He is not a man, that He should change His mind,” and the like.
Discussion on Answer
He is all-powerful because He can solve His problems by Himself (among other things, by creating us). True, He cannot perfect Himself, because a perfect being cannot undergo self-perfection, and for that He needs deficient beings. If I remember correctly, I elaborated on this in the column that dealt with perfection and self-perfection.
What was the column called? I couldn’t find it.
Actually, I couldn’t find a column. There is a passage in my article on Zeno’s Arrow:
Also, there is a series of recorded lectures here:
And also here:
How does this fit with your view that the fact that God created us apparently indicates that He is lacking something, and that He needs us to fill that lack (through the commandments)?