Omnipotence is unlimited. limitless power. The property of omnipotence ( being all powerful ) is by and large a quality of the God of monotheistic faiths. There exists an statement. nevertheless. that the construct of an omnipotent being is self-contradictory. significance that it is logically impossible that an almighty being can be. One of the more well-known renditions of this paradox goes: Can God make a stone that would be excessively heavy for him to raise? What this inquiry is inquiring is basically “can God can make something that he can non subsequently control?
This inquiry presents a quandary. If the reply is yes ( because God can make anything. after all ) . it would intend that he is non really almighty. for how could at that place be something that an almighty being can non command? If the reply is no ( because how could God non be able to raise a stone—he’s supposed to be almighty ) . so he is non really almighty. because here is something he can non make after all ( he can non make something that he can non command ) .
Therefore. with either reply. the decision is that God is non almighty. In his reply to this job. John L. Mackie says that if an omnipotent being creates an unmanageable thing. so commanding this thing would intend commanding an “omnipotently-made-uncontrollable” thing. which is logically impossible. Therefore even the omnipotent being will non be able to command it. and his failure to command it would really be an avowal instead than a defense of the his omnipotence.
Rigid designator and non-rigid designators The construct of stiff and non-rigid designators is slightly kindred to the construct of proper nouns and common nouns. A stiff designator is a term in doctrine that “designates [ or defines ] the same object in all possible universes in which that object exists and ne’er designates anything else” ( LaPorte. 2006 ) . Inversely. a non-rigid ( or flaccid ) designator is a term that does non mention to the same object in all possible universes.
For illustration. the sentence “Neil Armstrong was the first adult male on the moon” contains both a stiff designator ( Neil Armstorng ) and a non-rigid designator ( first adult male on the Moon ) . If events had been different. Neil Armstrong might non hold been the first adult male on the Moon. but Neil Armstrong ( non merely as a name. but as it refers to the adult male himself ) will ever be who he is.
