Q&A: God and Logic
God and Logic
Question
Hello Rabbi,
You argue in several places that God is subject to the laws of logic, and that they are not laws in the same sense as the laws of physics, because nobody legislated them.
The relationship between God and logic can be described in 3 ways:
- God legislated the laws of logic (as stated, you do not agree with this)
- The laws of logic preceded God, and God operates within them
- The laws of logic are an essential part of God; "acting according to the laws of logic" is one of His essential attributes.
In option 2 there is of course a theological problem (where did the laws of logic come from, how can there be something before God, etc.).
Do you hold like option 3, or some other option?
Or in other words: the laws of logic exist. The question is what the reason for them is.
Thank you
Answer
It seems to me that you only just asked a similar question now (was that you?). Why not continue there?
As I answered there, the laws of logic were not created and they are not entities, so there is nothing to discuss about them or about the time of their formation. They are also not part of Him, because they are not something that exists. They describe the necessary relations between ideas and things. The Holy One, blessed be He, did not create the idea that a wooden table is made of wood and not of iron. Nor can He change that.
Discussion on Answer
So apparently that was someone else. Sorry.
https://mikyab.net/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/%d7%97%d7%95%d7%a1%d7%a8-%d7%99%d7%9b%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%aa%d7%95-%d7%a9%d7%9C-%d7%94%d7%A7%D7%91%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%AA%D7%9C%D7%9D
Not me. Where is "there"? I’ll continue there.