Zain's Guide to Overthinking Everything

Omnipotence and Omniscience Paradoxes Refuted     Paradoxes are apparent and not actual contradictory realities such that there is an argument to sustain it without contradicting the laws of logic. Therefore, the conclusion of a paradox seems illogical on the surface but the argument to back it is logical. One of the most famous paradoxes presented in the theological realm is the Paradox of the Stone also known as the Omnipotence Paradox. Paradoxes in theology attempt to create tension in their conception of God through an apparent contradiction such that it could be possible to accept absurd conclusions about the divine nature. This may be with positing there is a contradiction within God’s omnipotence or it could be with multiple attributes or an attribute with our human experience of the world such as the Problem of Evil existing with God being infinitely merciful (this is refuted in a different blog post). In this case, the Paradox of the Stone is an example of the first t...

Notes on the Basics of Hegel Part 3: The Law of Non-Contradiction And The Dialectic              It should be made clear that Hegel is not against the law of non-contradiction nor is any sane person (but perhaps philosophers are insane). Hegel’s dialectical process is about the tension between two opposing ideas or concepts and overcoming these tensions to become something new. In this tension of the dialectical process these two concepts are in an intermediate state where it is neither itself and is itself at the same time. Perhaps the more accurate concept that arises from the dialectical process is absolute reality. The dialectic is the solution to the arising contradiction between the two concepts. Dialectics is not formal logic but material logic. It is an investigation into the ideal development of ideas along with all their conceptual content through contradictions of said ideas. In Hegelian dialectics, the concept contains its ...

Challenging the Trinity: Indexicals and the Leftow Dilemma     The Doctrine of the Trinity stands as a central tenet of Christian belief, positing the existence of three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—within the divine unity of God. However, a nuanced examination reveals intriguing challenges that will be discussed in detail. This blog post will present two more arguments against the Doctrine of the Trinity. I have already discussed the Logical Problem of the Trinity (LPT) and how the Trinity contradicts Divine Simplicity elsewhere on my blog.   The Argument from Indexicals:   Indexical: A linguistic expression whose reference can change based on the context. Examples of indexicals include I, he, she, here, that, etc. If Person A says I am happy and Person B utters the same sentence, even though the sentence is the same, Person A is saying it while person B is saying it. In the orthodox conception of the doctrine of the Trinity, there is only one mind ...

Notes on the Basics of Hegel Part 2: Breakdown of the Phenomenology of Spirit     Hegel began by outlining the purpose of the work, the need for a systematic study of consciousness and self-consciousness. He suggests that the goal is to understand the development of human knowledge and to grasp the truth of this knowledge. Hegel sought to understand the unfolding of human thought over time. He believed that history was a rational process, and by tracing the development of consciousness, one could grasp the inherent logic and progression of human knowledge. Hegel introduced a dialectical method, which involves the resolution of contradictions through a process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. This method allows for the dynamic development of thought, revealing the inherent contradictions within each stage and the synthesis that emerges. In examining consciousness and self-consciousness dialectically, Hegel reveals the internal conflicts and contradictions inherent in vari...