1.10.6

Discussion Points: Aquinas vs Wittgenstein

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Comparing Wittgenstein and Aquinas' Theories

Aquinas and Wittgenstein agree on God's unknowable nature and that religious language has to be understood in particular ways. They disagree about religious language as fact.

Illustrative background for Wittgenstein: life commitmentIllustrative background for Wittgenstein: life commitment ?? "content

Wittgenstein: life commitment

  • Ludwig Wittgenstein argued that religious language isn’t just the asserting of facts, but a commitment to a way of life.
  • So it would seem that Wittgenstein's non-cognitive approach makes more sense than a cognitive approach. This is because much of the language used to describe the nature of God is metaphysical and beyond our realm of understanding.
Illustrative background for Aquinas: factual statementsIllustrative background for Aquinas: factual statements ?? "content

Aquinas: factual statements

  • In Aquinas' view, religious language puts forward factual statements about supernatural reality.
  • This fits with most believers' understanding of what they are doing when they say God exists – they are asserting a fact.
    • For example, when a religious person claims that God is omnipotent, they are aiming to say factually that God is all-powerful.

Jump to other topics

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.6Religious Experience

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

2Religion & Ethics

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.9Gender & Society

3.10Gender & Theology

3.11Challenges

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