1.8.5
Eternity & Free Will
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Anselm's Four-Dimentialism
Anselm had his own approach to the timelessness of God argument. It is called the four-dimensionalist view of time. It is similar to Boethius’ view.
Time is the fourth dimension
- Since God is the creator of time, He is not subject to any of the dimensions of his creation – time is the fourth dimension.
- Anselm believed that God must be timeless because God is a being ‘which nothing greater can be conceived [of]’.
- Anselm argues that: ‘you surely cannot deny that the uncorrupted is better than something corrupt, the eternal than the temporal, and the invulnerable than the vulnerable.’ (On the Free Choice of Will)
Anselm and presentism
- Anselm argued that humans live in a presentist way.
- ‘Presentism’ says that only the present exists. This means that for us, the past is gone and the future has not happened yet - only the present moment exists.
- In Anselm’s four-dimensionalist view, the present moment is not ‘ontologically privileged’ i.e. it is no more real than any other point in time. All moments of time are equally present and equally real to God.
Countering criticism of Boethius
- One of the criticisms of Boethius’ model was that God could not know what time it is now, for us.
- Anselm’s approach gets around this by saying that God is not in every time and space, but every time and space is in him.
- Therefore, God is equally aware of what time it is for me now because this time is as equally present to him as is my birth, death etc.
All time is real to God
- Since God transcends space and time, all time is real to God.
- He knows what we will choose tomorrow because tomorrow is already present to Him.
- God sees what we choose as we choose it. Our choosing is the source of God’s knowledge of our choice.
- Anselm’s states: ‘for nothing is present to God either earlier or later, but all things are present to Him at once.’
Strengths & weaknesses of Anselm
- Strengths:
- This approach to timelessness is better than Boethius' because God can know what time it is now for us.
- Weaknesses:
- Anselm’s God is not merely seen as eternal but also as impassible – that is, not capable of being affected by that which is outside himself. Many argue that this does not sound like the God of the Bible. A God that appears to change and can be affected by the action of people?
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
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
2.6Business Ethics
2.7Meta-Ethical Theories
2.8Conscience
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
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
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
2.6Business Ethics
2.7Meta-Ethical Theories
2.8Conscience
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
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