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Single Idea 7829

[from 'Letters to Blijenburgh' by Baruch de Spinoza, in 28. God / A. Divine Nature / 3. Divine Perfections ]

Full Idea

To ascribe to God those attributes which make a man perfect would be as wrong as to ascribe to a man the attributes that make perfect an elephant or an ass.

Gist of Idea

God no more has human perfections than we have animal perfections

Source

Baruch de Spinoza (Letters to Blijenburgh [1665], 1665), quoted by Matthew Stewart - The Courtier and the Heretic Ch.10

Book Reference

Stewart,Matthew: 'The Courtier and the Heretic' [Yale 2007], p.162


A Reaction

This would be a difficulty for Aquinas's Fourth Way (Idea 1432), and one which I think Aquinas might acknowledge, given his desire that we should be humble when trying to comprehend God (Idea 1410). It leaves us struggling to grasp the concept of God.

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