Question

If god is completely non physical without any physical embodiment, it is hard to imagine how he can cause a physical effect. The only notions of non physical causes is our human consciousness arguably. But we have a physical substrate and thus any physical effect on the world by us still has a physical cause from the perspective of a third observer.

Answer 1

The question involves a philosophical inquiry into how a non-physical God can cause physical effects. It debates perspectives like Berkeley's idealism, materialism's empirical verification, dualism's mind-brain interaction, and the cosmological argument for God, alongside criticisms of each view.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question explores philosophical considerations about the nature of God and the interaction between the non-physical and the physical. Discussing the arguments around the possibility and manner of causation by a non-physical entity, such as God, on physical reality necessitates delving into various philosophical perspectives.

For instance, George Berkeley's view proposes that physical objects and their perception are intimately connected to God's volition, meaning that our sensation of the physical world is effectively caused by God's thoughts, positioning God as the divine cause behind our sensory experiences.

This idea is in contrast to materialism, which asserts that all knowledge stems from what is empirically verifiable; thus, it does not acknowledge the existence of non-physical entities like God because they cannot be detected and verified through empirical means.

Dualism presents another perspective, positing that the mind is a non-physical entity that somehow influences the physical brain. However, this view raises questions, such as where and how the interaction between the non-physical and physical occurs, and whether such an interaction would violate the laws of physics, including the principle of the conservation of energy.

Dualists defend their stance by suggesting that non-physical entities follow metaphysical laws rather than physical ones.

Conversely, arguments against the existence of non-physical entities often challenge their validity by questioning their necessity and pointing out their inability to interact with the physical in a clear, demonstrable manner. The cosmological argument for God's existence, for example, struggles with the paradox of positing a Necessary Cause for the universe while also conceiving of a being that is infinitely existent without cause.