Most philosophers either begin their philosophical inquiry by raising questions about God or by accepting certain assumptions about God. Then the question can be raised as to "why do they do so?" Why must we first of all know about God before we know about any other thing? The answer is not as simple as the question. Different metaphysical schools of thoughts might answer it differently.
For the monists like Baruch Spinoza, it is because God is the only thing that exists. Every other thing only lives, moves and has its being in God. Thus, we cannot proceed to the knowledge of any other thing without knowing the central being in whom they all inhere.
For dualists like Rene Descartes, mind and body are two different substances that can be known independently. Thus, the knowledge of the material world need not be preceded by the knowledge of God.
For pluralists like Leibniz, God is the being that harmonizes everything which could have otherwise operated independent of one another, and therefore would make different worlds of their own. Hence, the knowledge of God is essential as the central principle upon which the possibility of one world is based.
For the monists like Baruch Spinoza, it is because God is the only thing that exists. Every other thing only lives, moves and has its being in God. Thus, we cannot proceed to the knowledge of any other thing without knowing the central being in whom they all inhere.
For dualists like Rene Descartes, mind and body are two different substances that can be known independently. Thus, the knowledge of the material world need not be preceded by the knowledge of God.
For pluralists like Leibniz, God is the being that harmonizes everything which could have otherwise operated independent of one another, and therefore would make different worlds of their own. Hence, the knowledge of God is essential as the central principle upon which the possibility of one world is based.
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