Spinoza: The Power of God

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„God can think an infinitude of things in infinite ways, or (which is the same thing) can form an idea of His essence and of all the things which necessarily follow from it. But everything which is in the power of God is necessary. Therefore in God there necessarily exists the idea of His essence, and of all things which necessarily follow from His essence.“ (Second Part, Chap. IX, The Mind of God) #Spinoza #PowerOfGod

James: The Number of the Eternally Damned

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„Among other obstacles to his optimistic philosophy, it falls to Leibnitz to consider the number of the eternally damned. That it is infinitely greater, in our human case, than that of those saved he assumes as a premise from the theologians, and then proceeds to argue in this way.“ (p. 24f) #James #EternallyDamned #Leibnitz #Leibniz

Hume: Polytheism

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„IT appears to me, that if we consider the improvement of human society, from rude beginnings to a state of greater perfection, polytheism or idolatry was, and necessarily must have been, the first and most antient religion of mankind.“ (Diss. I, §1) #Hume #polytheism #idolatry

Russell: The Conception of God

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„The whole conception of God is a conception derived from the ancient Oriental despotisms. It is a conception quite unworthy of free men.“ (p. 35) #Russell #God

Russell: Safety and the Belief in God

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„Then I think that the next most powerful reason is the wish for safety, a sort of feeling that there is a big brother who will look after you. That plays a very profound part in influencing people’s desire for a belief in God.“ (p. 19) #Russell #safety #God