Ignasian Metaphysics 2 (WIP)

 # God

The first metaphysics is ironically the highest metaphysics. Yet this is necessary as a foundation for all of metaphysics, as the foundation is God and the summit is also God. God can be defined as existence. Now since the law of identity is true, existence is existence and that is equivalent to say that existence exists. Since the identity of any object is eternal, then existence is eternal. That which is eternal is also necessary, this makes God eternal and necessary. This will lead then to immutability, simplicity, and finally infinity. As such to say that God exists is actually a tautology, it adds nothing to what we know about God. Or it is something which is true by definition, to say that God exists is to say that God is God. Therefore, the problem of atheism is moot and stupid at best.

However, let us discuss the 5 attributes of existence including of existence itself briefly, one paragraph each. The basis of existence being its own object is from the foundational thesis that existence is a property and thus it is an individual of its own. There is also the fact that existence is distinguishable from non-existence, it is precisely experience and non-experience such that existence has to be distinct from non-existence in a certain sense. This means existence is its own object. Now since existence can only be existence, it means its existence is eternal, this brings us to the next attribute, eternity.

Eternity is equivalent to necessity, but is slightly different. It can be said that eternity is the logical consequence of necessity. However, depending on which path we take, eternity becomes the first attribute of existence. To be eternal is to have no beginning or end. As existence is always itself and never anything else, then existence has to be eternal. Existence has no beginning or end. As if existence has a beginning or end, then there is a time where existence is not. Yet if existence is not, it means existence persists through its negation, as the negation always contains the object it negates. This quality of existence persisting even through negation is what leads us to the next attribute, necessity.

Necessity is equivalent to eternity, but is slightly different. It is the quality of existence needing to be itself for all of eternity. Another form is that in spite of all conditions, the condition of existence remains true forever. As such, it is necessary that necessity and eternity are greatly related. Necessity implies eternity and eternity implies necessity. These are the first 2 of God's fundamental attributes. In lower realities, what is necessary of an object is that which must be fulfilled to reach a condition. However, in God, necessity means that for the condition of existence to be true, then existence itself must be true forever. The next attribute is immutability.

To be immutable means to be unchanging, incapable of change at all. This is simple as God is eternal and necessary. To have God changing is to have God end. However, there is another attribute which must be discussed to understand the immutability of God and that is simplicity. If God is eternal and necessary, it follows that God's parts are all equally necessary and eternal. Then if God does have parts, since the parts are all necessary and eternal and the whole is necessary and eternal, then there can be no separation of parts. So God is wholly united and this is the meaning of simplicity, inseparability. Thus God is immutable as well as there can be no change of parts within God.

The last attribute of God is infinity, concluding from all the previous attributes, since God is wholly existence, then God cannot be limited or determined by anything else other than Himself. Self-limitation is what we call infinity. However, there is an interesting consequence of infinity. Infinity leads to self-contradiction, but in truth it does not. As remember that existence exists regardless of the existence of its negation. As such, there is no contradiction in God even if there appears to be contradictions. Contradictions are merely in appearance and not in reality. So God remains self-consistent and not contradictory. Though a certain philosopher will say that contradiction and consistency is the same...

The practice of labeling existence as God is historical. It is not a circular argument because when we have traced God back to existence, we can always lead it back to the 5 attributes and later on we can expand the concept of God using other analogies from finite reality. Even these 5 attributes are abstractions from rational reality which are again abstractions from sensory or physical reality. This means that God is not circular but explorable from various sides of existence. As such, God is inexhaustible and only God possess the fullness of Himself. Any attempt to exhaust God will lead to annihilation.

# Creation

Creation may be defined as the opposite of God. While God is necessary, eternal, immutable, simple, and infinite. Creation is contingent, temporal, mutable, composite, and finite. Let us discuss these attributes. Contingency means creation has the possibility of not being in its entire existence. This leads to the idea that creation is not necessary, creation can not exist, but God must exist. Creation is temporal, meaning that it has a beginning at least, and it always has an end as well. But in the present order, creation must have no end as God wills it. Mutability is clear, creation can change due to contingency. Creation is always composite, it is composed of at least 2 parts. Creation is finite, it possess lacks and for this reason it is definite.

# God the Creator

This is the doctrine of God the Creator. First of all, God is infinite and creation is finite, it means whatever creation does, it can be overruled by God's infinity. Second, God is the necessary reality and thus any form of existence which contingent creation has is derived from the necessary existence. The contingent reality must terminate in a necessary reality. God is the eternal reality, this means God has no beginning or end. From eternity it can only be derived that which has a beginning and an end, the temporal reality. From God everything composite is derived as creation is the composition between God and God and God. Finally, God the immutable dictates the mutability of the creation.

# Knowledge

Knowledge is the fullness of experience. There are various steps of knowledge, sensory experience, rational experience, and God. The essence of knowledge is the union of existences. When we possess knowledge, we possess the object as well thus union happens. Knowledge grants power as when we know, we are united to that object and thus we may change that object. Without knowledge there is no power. God is Knowledge Himself and thus everything are objects of knowledge.

# Goodness

Goodness is perfect experience. Goodness may be defined as that purpose which is established by each moral subject or the direction of change in general. As such, since to God He is all there is, then He is Goodness Himself. As such Existence is Goodness, but not just existence, rather the communication of existence that is what we call love. Existence is the act of communicating itself. Now since Existence is goodness and that goodness is the state of knowledge, then we may say that everything is good in so far they are existing objects.

# The Synthesis

God is the union of existence, knowledge, and goodness. God creates everything in order to communicate Himself towards Creation. God created everything out of nothing, as such nothing, which is another attribute of God is united to the everything of God and so that results in creation, the third attribute of God. The supreme purpose of creation is the union between creation and God in order to create perfect goodness. As such there is eternal motion towards God as He is thoroughly inexhaustible.