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Averroes (1126–1198), a philosopher who discussed the omnipotence paradox.[1]

Averroes (1126–1198), a philosopher who discussed the omnipotence paradox.[1] The omnipotence paradox is a family of related paradoxes, having to do with the question of what an omnipotent being can do. These paradoxes pose the question whether it makes sense to attribute omnipotence to anything, usually a being of some sort, or whether such an attribution is meaningless. The argument states that if the being can perform such actions, then it can limit its own ability to perform actions and hence it cannot perform all actions, yet, on the other hand, if it cannot limit its own actions, then that is—straight off—something it cannot do.[2] This paradox is often formulated in terms of the God of the Abrahamic religions, though this is not a requirement. One version of the omnipotence paradox is the so-called paradox of the stone: “Could an omnipotent being create a stone so heavy that even that being could not lift it?” If so, then it seems that the being could cease to be omnipotent; if not, it seems that the being was not omnipotent to begin with.[3] The paradox cannot be stated without references to time, and so it implicitly assumes that omnipotence does not include control or independence of time; if omnipotence includes either of these, the paradox no longer exists. A version of the paradox can also be seen in non-theological contexts. A similar problem occurs when accessing legislative or parliamentary sovereignty, which holds a specific legal institution to be omnipotent in legal power, and in particular such an institution’s ability to regulate itself. [2] Some philosophers, such as J. L Cowan, see this paradox as a reason to reject the possibility of any absolutely omnipotent entity.[4] Others, such as Thomas Aquinas, assert that the paradox arises from a misunderstanding of the concept of omnipotence.[5] The paradox can indeed be viewed as a straightforward logical impossibility, in that it frames an inability (cannot lift it) as an attribute of total ability (omnipotence), rather than its absence or negation. Still others, such as René Descartes, argue that God is absolutely omnipotent, despite the apparent problem.[6] In addition, some philosophers have considered the assumption that a being is either omnipotent or non-omnipotent to be a false dilemma, as it neglects the possibility of varying degrees of omnipotence.[7] Some modern approaches to the problem have involved semantic debates over whether language — and therefore philosophy — can meaningfully address the concept of omnipotence itself.[8] Some, however, argue that omnipotence grants the ability to bend logic, therefore rendering the paradox useless. It is thought by some that to analyze the omnipotence paradox rigorously, a precise definition of omnipotence must be established, though others see this as a futile attempt to avoid the paradox. At any rate, for those who think there is enlightenment at the end of this tunnel the common definition, “all powerful”, is not specific enough to deal with the issues raised by the paradox. Several other versions of the paradox, incidentally, have been advanced besides the “heavy stone”, and these relate to problems in modern physics

Key characters

Short Name	Full Name	Episodes	Theories
Ben	Benjamin Linus	3.20, 4.9, & 3” href=”/episodes/theres-no-place-home-parts-2-3/”>4.13	1726

Key episodes

#	Title	Aired	Central character	Theories
2.23	Live Together, Die Alone	5-24-2006	Desmond	323

Key events

Theme	Relevant Episodes	Theories
Locke Can Walk		289

Key locations

Theme	Relevant Episodes	Theories
The Caves	1.7, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2	177

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