Single Idea 150

[catalogued under 28. God / C. Attitudes to God / 4. God Reflects Humanity]

Full Idea

Because we have never seen or formed an adequate idea of a god, we picture him to ourselves as a being of the same kind as ourselves but immortal.

Gist of Idea

We cannot conceive of God, so we have to think of Him as an immortal version of ourselves

Source

Plato (Phaedrus [c.368 BCE], 246d)

Book Reference

Plato: 'Phaedrus and Letters VII and VIII', ed/tr. Hamilton,Walter [Penguin 1973], p.51