God and the PhilosophersRecent conflagrations over atheism, creationism, and religion have sparked wide discussion of the existence and character of the divine and how best to conceive of God in light of current science, philosophy, and theology. This timely, lively new book from renowned theologian and philosopher Keith Ward tells us what Western philosophy's greatest thinkers from Plato and Aquinas to Kant and Hegel thought about such questions as the existence of God, the nature of reality and humanity's meaning, value, and purpose. Far from being the enemy of religion, philosophy has more often than not supported a non-materialist view of the universe, argues Ward. Based on Ward's 2008 Sarum Lectures, God and the Philosophers adapts his theme for a wide readership and will be seen as both a brilliant armchair philosophers' primer on the history of religious thought and a staunch defense of some of the less fashionable themes in Western philosophy. |
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actual affirm affirmation appearances Aquinas arguments Aristotle basic beauty belief Berkeley Cartesian dualism causal Christian claim common-sense complete conceive conflict consciousness cosmic mind cosmos creative David Hume definite Descartes dualism Eugene Wigner evil exists by necessity experience fact final explanation find finite finite minds first freedom goal God Delusion God’s Hegel human Hume Hume’s hypothesis Ibid idea idealism infinite influence intellectual intelligible John Polkinghorne Kant Kant’s knowledge laws Leibniz live material materialist mathematical matter metaphysics modern moral nature of reality necessary Nietzsche noumenal ontological argument perceived perfect perhaps phenomenal philosophers physicists Plato Plotinus possible worlds postulate purpose quantum physics R. J. Hollingdale rational realise reason reflection religion religious Richard Dawkins Schopenhauer Schopenhauer’s scientific seems sense significance Socrates sort soul specific Spirit suffering supreme theology theory things thought tradition trans transcendental idealism truth ultimate reality understanding universe Walter Kaufmann wholly