Greek gods lack self-knowing inwardness while the Christian God discloses his inner being.

Evidence

God does not have the attributes of a Christian Providence, for it would derogate from His perfection to think about anything except what is perfect, i.e. Himself. ‘It must be of itself that the divine thought thinks (since it is the most excellent of things), and its thinking is a thinking on thinking’ (1074b). We must infer that God does not know of the existence of our sublunary world. Aristotle, like Spinoza, holds that, while men must love God, it is impossible that God should love men. — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 752 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

God’s self-identity is, however, not formal and empty. Even in the conceptual element God is already differentiated, and does not remain ‘aloof and enclosed within himself’. As ‘underlying and essential power’, he . — Catherine Malabou, The Future of Hegel, 663 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source
• XREF: connects to: The Christian God is the primal speculative instance because he reflects on himself.; The Christian God’s vulnerability is what Greek art cannot represent — Catherine Malabou, The Future of Hegel: Plasticity,…, 842; Aristotles God cannot love humans and remains unaware of the sublunary world. — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 752 (+2 more)

Related

• Aristotles God cannot love humans and remains unaware of the sublunary world. (similarity 0.90)
• Christian art’s god differs from Greek sculpture by possessing inward self-knowledge. (similarity 0.89)
• The Christian God’s vulnerability is what Greek art cannot represent (similarity 0.87)
• The Christian God is the primal speculative instance because he reflects on himself. (similarity 0.86)
• The Christian God is the first figure that sees itself coming (similarity 0.81)
• Christianity makes divine self-vision a single decisive moment. (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Aristotles God cannot love humans and remains unaware of the sublunary world. #corroborates (0.80) — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 752
• God’s self-identity is differentiated and not empty even in pure thought #expands (0.75) — Catherine Malabou, The Future of Hegel, 663