Divine Simplicity, Flynn and Craig

 Catholic apologist Patrick Flynn offers this argument against William Lane Craig’s doctrine of God.

1. Whatever is composite depends on prior components.

2. Whatever depends on something prior is not ultimate.

3. God is ultimate.

4. So God is not composite.

Premise (1) and (2) are not obviously true. In fact, neo-Aristotelian metaphysics can reject both (1) and (2) with substantial priority. I would commend the work of Gregory Fowler, Matthew Baddorf and Paul M Gould. Substantial priority (e.g. Fowler, Inman, Gould) would take the whole substance as the fundamental ground of its parts, properties or powers.

The assumption that all forms of composition necessarily entail an external composer must be defended not merely presupposed. The greatest counterexample is the incarnation itself which RT Mullins brings up in one of his papers. 

I posted this argument three years ago on X. I reformulted it slightly from Ross Inman’s tweet. 

Assume God is identical to all that God is intrinsically.

(1) God is a se

(2) Whatever is a se cannot be dependent in anyway

(3) Whatever exhibits C-structure is dependent

(4) Whatever exhibits C- structure cannot be a se.

(5) God cannot exhibit C-structure of any kind.

C(composite)-structures

C1 Part-Whole structure

C2 Substance-accident

C3 Nature-supposition

C4 Mode-mode  

C5 Essence-existence 

Conciliar Trinitarians & Mereological Trinitarians are both invested to deny (2&4) given C1 & C4. But if premises are denied can simplicity be defended by aseity? I show one can have aseity without Thomistic simplicity perhaps not as well as Chad McIntosh and Paul Gould, but I try

https://www.youtube.com/live/2JG_Pm6nH9Q?si=3eB2d9TXu44r03Zd 

I reviewed Ryan Mullins and Gavin Ortlund’s debate on divine simplicity a while back. This was an argument I formulated feom that debate that may apply to Flynn. 

(1) If God lacks complexity then God lacks parts, properties, aspects, order or structure.

(2) God has order or structure (e.g. divine processions via taxis)

(3) Therefore, God is complex.