On Omnisubjectivity

John A. Keller

doi:10.18290/rf25731.2

Published : 2025-03-31

Vol. 73 No. 1 (2025)

On Omnisubjectivity

John A. Keller

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rf25731.2

Abstract

Linda Zagzebski argues that God is omnisubjective: that God has a perfect first-person grasp of all subjective states, including belief states. While it’s impossible for any finite being to be omnisubjective, what’s impossible for finite beings may be possible for God. According to Zagzebski, divine omnisubjectivity is not only possible, but entailed by divine omniscience. In this paper, I argue that we should distinguish between three forms of divine omnisubjectivity: propositional omnisubjectivity (the thesis that God knows all first-person subjective propositions), perspectival omnisubjectivity (the thesis that God assumes all first-person subjective perspectives), and phenomenal omnisubjectivity (the thesis that God grasps all first-person phenomenal states). Distinguishing these forms of omnisubjectivity is important, since we should have different attitudes towards these different forms of omnisubjectivity: while propositional and perspectival omnisubjectivity are trivial or impossible (and not entailed by omniscience), phenomenal omnisubjectivity is interesting, epistemically possible, and suggested by other divine attributes.

Keywords:

subjectivity, omnisubjectivity, The First Person, qualia, omniscience

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