A being who is able to create stones too heavy for him to lift, and lift them, is surely more powerful than one who can't? — Bartricks
And, yes, an omnipotent being can, by definition, do anything logically possible. — PoeticUniverse
Surely being unable to do the impossible is a restriction? — Bartricks
I have to say, though, I am more sympathetic to Descartes' view. Surely being unable to do the impossible is a restriction? A being who is able to create stones too heavy for him to lift, and lift them, is surely more powerful than one who can't? — Bartricks
So, on this view an omnipotent being cannot, for example, create a stone heavier than he (an omnipotent being, that is) can lift, for that involves a contradiction and omnipotence does not involve being able to do the impossible. — Bartricks
Hm, a square circle isn't nothing, rather it is an object that is both square and circular. — Bartricks
I am not entirely sure what you're saying - are you saying that even if an omnipotent being were bound by logic, this would not be much of a bind, or are you saying that an omnipotent being is not bound by logic, or are you saying that logic, as it is, shows evidence of being the creation of an omnipotent being? — Bartricks
You can't answer a question with a question. — Bartricks
So far, I've made a circle with two sides, and I'm almost done with the third and fourth sides, and it will still be a circle, too. — PoeticUniverse
That seems question begging in this context, for if omnipotence involves being able to determine what is or is not possible, then the logic would be created if, that is, an omnipotent being exists (or, alternatively, if we know in advance that logic is not created, we could then conclude that no omnipotent being exists). — Bartricks
Hm, a square circle isn't nothing, rather it is an object that is both square and circular. Their existence seems to be impossible. But I think a truly omnipotent being would be able to create one, for nothing is impossible for a truly omnipotent being. — Bartricks
Fooloso4 It is not clear to me what your answer to the question is. Are you saying that omnipotence involves not being constrained by the laws of logic? — Bartricks
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