God and the Platonic Horde: A Defense of Limited Conceptualism

Abstract

In this paper I shall argue two things. First, it is plausible to think that Conceptualism holds with respect to propositions;; in any event, it does a much better job than its closest competitors (Platonism and Nominalism) in accounting for the truth bearing nature of propositions. Secondly, it is wholly implausible (so I say) to take the added step and equate properties and relations with divine concepts. Here I offer additional reasons, beyond “divine bootstrapping,” for theists to resist this tempting reduction. Thus, a limited Conceptualism emerges as the most natural and defensible way for a theist to think about God’s relation to abstract objects.