Conceptual Frameworks and "Necessary Existence"

Abstract

G OD has often been alleged to differ from his creatures, not only in nature or essence, but in the mode of his existence. He is said to exist necessarily, whereas we exist contingently, In so far as this terminology merely denotes a dependence of the world on God, there seem to be no peculiar problems with it. But the notion of has often been thought to carry more weight than that-to express some fundamental difference between ourselves and the Divine. This article is an attempt to analyze this added freight, to see if the difference between God and the world can or should be put in terms of the contrast between necessary and contingent existence. I will begin by examining briefly the problem in its classical form, seeking to clarify the issues involved, and then explore the possibilities of an analogy between the existence of theoretical entities in science and that of God. I