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Research Paper | Philosophy | India | Volume 8 Issue 8, August 2019

God is Being-Itself: Exploring Tillich's Concept of the Ultimate

Dr. T. Jamedi Longkumer

Abstract: This paper will probe into the philosophical locus of the concept of the ultimate concern as discussed by Paul Tillich in his substantial writings. It appears that the concept is to be situated in the problem concerning the attributes of God, in particular, God’s infinitude. The idea of the infinitude puts us on guard not to predicate of God anything, including ‘existence’, for that would be limiting the unlimited. This is one specific problem with which philosophers have grappled with. Can we say, ‘God exists’ Some say, we can, what is more, we can adduce arguments for God’s existence. Others say that we cannot and they too adduce arguments for God’s non-existence. Tillich belongs to the latter group, but without being an atheist. This insight of Tillich is the study-focus of this paper. Apart from the question, if existence is a predicate, his answer here has a deep significance to analytical and language philosophy. Tillich believes that the question of God can neither be asked nor answered. Hence the answer, too, be it the affirmation or the negation, implicitly negates the nature of God. Paradoxically, for Tillich, both the affirmation and negation of God constitute forms of atheism.

Keywords: Being-itself, Existence, Transcendence, Theism, Atheism

Edition: Volume 8 Issue 8, August 2019,

Pages: 2081 - 2085

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