Opatrzność Boża w myśli filozofów. O możliwości udowodnienia istnienia Opatrzności z porządku świata

Abstract

The problem of God’s Providence appears for the first time in the Greek philosophy. It is strongly linked with understanding of the world as an order. Ionian natural philosophers have seen the world as and order of all elements (cosmos) and this lead them to conviction, that there must be a reason why it exists in such way. In the works of man the order is always made by reason, so the order of the universe must be an outcome of the operation of Being which has a reason much greater than that of man. According to Xenophon’s relation Socrates was the philosopher, who first deduced the existence of God’s Providence from the order of the universe. Cosmic Reason is not only the cause of the world’s order, but also takes care of human affairs, because man is the only material being, who has a reason, and can operate according to it. This kind of care of Ultimate Being cannot be perceived as love, or personal relation. It is rather a cosmic law of Providence. Plato shows it more clearly developing his master’s conception. In “Laws” he is arguing, that a perfect and divine being cannot be careless because perfection means virtue, which completely excludes to be lazy or bad. So gods by their nature must take care of even the smallest things which happen on earth. But the goal of their care is to make the material universe similar to them, to make it the most perfect possible. They are taking care of men because perfection of man is in a way perfection of the universe if the man is doing good deeds and avoid bad. That’s why every good deed is reworded and bad is punished in the next cycle of metempsychosis and this is eternal low which cannot be avoided by anybody. The Greek conception of the God’s Providence was accepted by the Fathers of the Church, although they have given it a completely new understanding. Christian universe is not eternal but created by God in free act of will. Therefore even the smallest creature is wanted as it is by God. This completely changes the understanding of Providence, because the act of Creation is already in itself the act of Providence. In a case of creation of man this postulates the personal relation between God and human being. That’s why the Providence can be perceived as a loving care of God. Greek philosophers saw care of gods mainly in the order of the universe. Seeing the same order, Christian thinkers, noticed the Providence in the acts of God’s help, which overcame the laws of created nature. In the philosophy of 18th century very similar way of showing the existence of God’s Providence can be noticed. Development of natural sciences in the age of Enlightenment brought the new understanding of the world. Material reality became full of unchangeable physical laws, which explained how universe worked. Once again the human reason discovered that there is an order in the world. One of the most important scholars of these times was Isaac Newton. His physical studies lead him to conclusion, that it is necessary to accept the existence of God. Physical laws present in nature was purposeful which for Newton postulated the necessity of God’s Providence. So once again in the history of philosophy the existence of Providence was deducted from the order of the world, but the basis of this process this time was very fragile, which can be seen in the philosophy of Voltaire, who was fascinated by the works of Newton. In the “Elements of Newton’s Philosophy” and the “Metaphysical Treatise” he argues that the rejection of God’s Providence leads to much greater problems that acceptation of its existence. But optimism of Voltaire was exposed to confrontation with the problem of suffer and death. After the earthquake in Lisbon in 1755 he completely rejected his former conceptions. The example of Voltaire shows, that reason is capable to discover the existence of God’s Providence, and this conception can be perceived as universal and independent to faith. But it is hardly possible that such conviction will stand against the problem of explanation of evil and death. It can be firmed only by faith, that human soul is immortal and will gain a reword or punishment in after life.