History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 259 - Richard Cross on Philosophy and the Trinity
Jul 31, 2016
Medieval philosophers explored the complexities of the Trinity, discussing sameness without identity and using analogies to explain the divine essence. They analyzed the rationality and mystery of the Trinity, debated the role of reason and revelation, and examined SCOTUS' controversial views on the divine essence and personal properties.
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Sameness Versus Identity
- Medieval philosophers treated the Trinity as a problem of sameness vs identity, exploring a notion of sameness distinct from strict identity.
- The bronze-statue example illustrates how one thing can be 'the same as' but not identical to another, prompting theological analogies.
Divine Essence As Shared Constituent
- The divine essence functions like the bronze relative to a statue: a single constituent shared by distinct persons.
- The difficulty is that the same divine essence must constitute three persons simultaneously, unlike mundane examples.
Modal Differences Fall Short For God
- Differences like bronze vs statue are often modal, but divine distinctions invoke divine simplicity, making modal explanations problematic.
- Medievals worried that explaining personhood by essence alone leaves distinctions unexplained or inexplicable.