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1、Omniscience,Time,andEternity:IsAquinasInconsistent?KevinM.StaleySaintAnselmCollegeThomasAquinasholdsthatasfarastemporalthingsareconcerned,onlypresentthingsexist.HealsoholdsthatGodknowsimmediately,allatonce,inasingleact,thepast,present,andfuture.Criticscontendhisholdingbothpositionsis
2、incoherent.Inthisessay,IexaminetheargumentsagainstAquinasbybothhisdirectandindirectaccusers,andIconsidertworecentrepliesofferedonAquinas’behalf.Havingindicatedcertainweaknessesinthecaseforthedefense,Iconcludebyofferingasimpledefenseofmyown,whichIbelievetobeeffectiveandtextuallyground
3、ed.ThomasAquinasholdsthatasfarastemporalthingsareconcerned,onlypresentthingsexist.HealsoholdsthatGodknowsimmediately,allatonce,inasingleact,thepast,present,andfuture.Criticscontendhisholdingbothpositionsisincoherent.Coherence,theyargue,requireseitherthatAquinasdenyGodanimmediateknowl
4、edgeofthewholeoftimeorthatheaffirmthatthepastandthefutureexistalongwiththepresent.MyintentionistodefendAquinasagainstthechargeofincoherence.CriticismofAquinasisbothdirectandindirect.InrecentworkonAnselm,KatherinRogerscontendsthatGod’sperfectknowledgeofthewholeoftimelogicallyentailset
5、ernalism.Eternalism,asRogersdefinesit,holdsthatalltimes—past,present,andfuture—areequallyrealandthattheapparentnon-realityofthepastandfutureisafunctionofourlimitedcognitive1capacities.SinceAquinas’conceptofGod’sperfectionisthesameasAnselm’s,ifRogersisright,Aquinasiswrongabouttime.Del
6、marLewisandWilliamLaneCraighavedirectlychargedAquinaswithincoherenceaswell.Inthisessay,IwillexaminetheargumentsagainstAquinasbybothhisdirectandindirectaccusers,andIwillconsidertworecentrepliesofferedonAquinas’behalf.Havingindicatedcertainweaknessesinthecaseforthedefense,Iwillconclude
7、byofferingasimpledefenseofmyown,whichIbelievetobeeffectiveandtextuallygrounded.I.AquinasUnderFireRogershaspresentedanumberofargumentsforeternalismandagainstpresentism.2Presentismholdsthat“allthatexists,existsinthepresentsincethatisallthereis.”ShearguesthatGod’sperfectionentailsthatHe
8、knowseachmom