Seven Arguments for the Oneness of God

 

  

Over the last several weeks, one of my study partners and I have been learning a chapter of Duties of the Heart by R. Bachya ibn Paquda. In this chapter, he makes seven arguments for the Oneness of God which is, of course, a foundational Torah idea.

I found the density of his words calling out for simplification. Here, I've tried, as best I can, to present ibn Paquda's arguments in more straightforward language. 

The book was written in the 11th c. His original audience was observant Jews living in Spain, which was then a Muslim country. In particular, he was speaking to observant Jews who, while ritually observant, were lax in the attendant "duties of the heart" such as emunah, humility and love of God.  

Here is my summary of his seven arguments for the idea that there could only be One Creator and Sustainer of the world.

1. Everything that exists came into existence by a creator. Pick anything that exists in the world and trace it to its point of origin. At some point, you run out of causes for a thing that exists and you come to a Singular Cause of Causes. That is God.

2. Everything in the world works together. The universe functions like one coordinated system. Every part functions as part of a greater whole. Nothing exists independently. That points to one Creator, not to multiple gods. The patterns and harmony in creation suggest a single wisdom guiding everything. A unified design points to one Designer.

3. Nothing can bring itself into existence. It is impossible to conceive of a world that was brought into existence by a Creator who was less than one. One is the smallest number of Creators it is possible to believe in.

4. If there were more than one Creator, there would be something that differentiated each one from the others. Each would have more or less of some qualities in order to differentiate one from the others. Therefore, if there were more than one Creator, each would necessarily be limited. Whatever is limited is finite. Whatever is finite cannot be the ultimate Creator.

5. The idea of plurality can only exist if there is an idea that there is a quantity that is less than plural. Anyone who asserts that the Creator is more than one has to concede that there is a unit smaller than “more than one”. That unit is one. And One necessarily precedes the idea of plurality.

6. A perfect God cannot be divided. Anything divided into parts is limited and dependent. God is perfect and unlimited, so He cannot be made of parts or separate beings.

7. If there were more than one creator with the power to create the world alone, there would be no need for more than one creator. If creation could not have happened without cooperation among the multiple creators, then none of them alone was perfect, whole and complete. 

Is my summary perfect? Likely not. My goal is to simplify ibn Paquda's ideas and to bolster those who want to believe in a single, unified Creator and Sustainer of the world.