Is Plato's God the God of Western Civilisation?

T

Therapon

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Plato believed and taught that God created the universe. He called God the Creator, King and Father of all. Plato wrote long before the earliest books of the Hebrew Torah achived ther final written form.

Later Christians and Muslims used a great deal of Plato's philosophy in their theology, ensuring the his understanding of God was preserved for future generations.

Niether Christian nor Islam has a monopoly on the idea or belief in God as the supreme being.

Is it reasonable to say that the idea and belief in God in Western Civilisation derives ultimately from Plato?
 
"Niether Christian nor Islam has a monopoly on the idea or belief in God as the supreme being."

Surely neither does Plato?

Taking a more philosophical look at religion, I think God is what you make of Him; He (she/they/it) reveals Himself to us through religious experiences that are, by definition, ambiguous. There is some of Plato's God in the Judaeo-Christian God, certainly, but there's a lot of paganism, superstition, good philosophy and modern interpretation in there too.
 
There's 2 possibilities. Either the concept of a creator God is true or it's not. If it's true, it's quite understandable that Plato and the Torah should agree.

Plato came up with the idea of temporal and eternal reality. This is equivalent to the theological concept of permanent and conditional existence. God is what is eternally real or what exists permanently. Hence the phrase used by the apparition to Abraham in the burning bush.

Where Plato, Judaism, Christianity and Islam differ is not on the existence of a creator God, but what we do about it. Gnosticism was a religion that combined Platonic philosophy with aspects of Christianity, but was suppressed after the Council of Nicea. It's their rediscovered books that have made Dan Brown so rich.
 
No. Although he was certainly a great philosopher; he has been followed by truly great minds comprehending an extremely complicated world. Although, I would love to hear is view of our society. Good question.
 
I'm not sure what you have been reading, but Plato says nowhere that God created the universe.

When Socrates mentions "God", he usually has either Zeus or Apollo in mind, and neither are seen to be the creator of the universe. Besides, for the ancient Greeks the gods are not eternal: they were "born" at a certain time, though they never die.

In the dialogue called _Timaeus_ Socrates talks about a "demiurge", and some have taken this to refer to a creative God. However, the demiurge does not create the universe, but only gives shape to formless matter that is already in existence. Plato's demiurge is closer to being a physical laborer! What a thought!

Plato was far from being a Christian, and pre-dated Jesus birth by approximately 500 years. There are apparently many reasons why the early Church found Plato appealing, but Plato's importance was really replaced by Aristotle once St. Thomas Aquinas came on the scene.

You should be looking at Egyptian Paganism and Judaism if you want a better idea of the origin of the Western Christian God. Plato had no exposure to either of these religions, so I think you are looking in the wrong place.

Regards.
 
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