HKB
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Often appears with: the nature and attributes of God · natural law and higher law · religious persecution and toleration · fate, destiny, and necessity · wordsworth poem · un-personal god · ultimate causes · reason and the intellect · rational theology · providence and divine governance · prayer and worship · physico-theology
Usually: argument (6) · detachment (2) · commentary or gloss (1) · curiosity (1) · indignation (1) · praise (1) · skepticism (1) · wonder (1)
“Naturalists indeed very justly explain particular effects by more general causes, though these general causes themselves should remain in the end totally inexplicable; but they never surely thought it satisfactory to explain a particular effect by a particular cause, which was no more to be accounted for than the effect itself.” David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion · insight
“A purpose, an intention, a design, strikes every where the most careless, the most stupid thinker; and no man can be so hardened in absurd systems, as at all times to reject it.” David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion · insight
“the counsels of God are inscrutable, but there is no invincible objection which tends to the conclusion that they are unjust.” Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Freiherr von, Theodicy · insight
“The whole course of nature may be the material embodiment of a preconcerted arrangement; and if the succession of events be explained by transmutation, the perpetual adaptation of the organic world to new conditions leaves the argument in favour of design, and therefore of a designer, as valid as ever.” Charles Lyell, Sir, The Antiquity of Man · insight
Kant defines theology as rational cognition (transcendental or natural theology) or revelation, distinguishes deism from theism, and classifies physico-theology and moral theology by what order they infer.
If by the term theology I understand the cognition of a primal being, that cognition is based either upon reason alone (theologia rationalis) or upon revelation (theologia revelata). The former cogitates its object either by means of pure transcendental conceptions, as an ens originarium, realissimum, ens entium, and is termed transcendental theology; or, by means of a conception derived from the nature of our own mi…
Lyell emphasizes that even if divine action is compatible with transmutation, the argument from design remains: preconcerted natural order and perpetual adaptation show an increased dominion of mind over matter.
human thought is consecutive, divine thought is simultaneous," Dr. Asa Gray has replied that, "if divine thought is simultaneous, we have no right to affirm the same of divine action." The whole course of nature may be the material embodiment of a preconcerted arrangement; and if the succession of events be explained by transmutation, the perpetual adaptation of the organic world to new conditions leaves the argumen…
He holds that reason can know a single all-good principle behind all things and that objections based on the course of events are false appearances, contrasting “seeing” a priori with “believing” from effects.
but causes unknown to us. Finally M. Bayle quotes sundry modern writers who have spoken to the same effect (*Reply to the Questions of a Provincial*, ch. 161 et seq.). 50. But all these expressions and innumerable others like them do not prove that the objections opposed to faith are so insoluble as M. Bayle supposes. It is true that the counsels of God are inscrutable, but there is no invincible objection which ten…
He warns that eliminating personal divine attributes leads to distaste for Christian doctrines and a shift toward a de-personalized “FATE” of physical attributes, undermining natural theology “evidences” and biblical reliance.
side, never see but half of a subject at one time, and forgetting the one before they get to the other are sure not to detect any inconsistency between them. And what has been the consequence? An increasing unwillingness to contemplate the Supreme Being in his *personal* attributes: and thence a distaste to all the peculiar doctrines of the Christian Faith, the Trinity, the Incarnation of the Son of God, and Redempt…
In Cleanthe’s library, Demea praises Pamphilus’s education, citing Chrysippus that students should learn logic, ethics, physics, then natural theology; he delays theology to foster early piety.
After I joined the company, whom I found sitting in CLEANTHES's library, DEMEA paid CLEANTHES some compliments on the great care which he took of my education, and on his unwearied perseverance and constancy in all his friendships. The father of PAMPHILUS, said he, was your intimate friend: The son is your pupil; and may indeed be regarded as your adopted son, were we to judge by the pains which you bestow in conveyi…
Cleanthes replies that once a cause is found it is not required to know the cause of the cause, since ultimate causes may be unknown; Philo counters that this never truly explains anything, merely renames ignorance.
are only more learned and elaborate ways of confessing our ignorance; nor has the one hypothesis any real advantage above the other, except in its greater conformity to vulgar prejudices. You have displayed this argument with great emphasis, replied CLEANTHES: You seem not sensible how easy it is to answer it. Even in common life, if I assign a cause for any event, is it any objection, PHILO, that I cannot assign th…
After Demea leaves, Cleanthes criticizes Philo’s argumentative zeal; Philo defends his “common sense” view that nature shows design, discusses Maxims like Nature’s purposiveness, and cites Galen’s anatomical detail as evidence of intelligence.
After DEMEA's departure, CLEANTHES and PHILO continued the conversation in the following manner. Our friend, I am afraid, said CLEANTHES, will have little inclination to revive this topic of discourse, while you are in company; and to tell truth, PHILO, I should rather wish to reason with either of you apart on a subject so sublime and interesting. Your spirit of controversy, joined to your abhorrence of vulgar super…