Flashcards
Ontological Argument
Cards in this deck (15)
- 1WHAT TYPE OF ARGUMENT IS THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT?A priori - relies on reason alone
Deductive - if the premises are true, so is the conclusion
Analytical - its truth or falsity is given by the definition of the terms used - 2WHAT DOES ANSELM DEFINE GOD AS IN THE PROSLOGION 2?That than which nothing greater can be conceived
- 3HOW DOES ANSELM CONCLUDE THAT GOD EXISTS BOTH IN THE MIND AND IN REALITY?Even "the fool" (Psalm 14) who denies God has the concept of him in his mind.
If God exists in the mind and is TTWNG then a greater being would exist both in the mind and in reality. - 4WHAT DOES ANSELM SEEK TO SHOW IN THE PROSLOGION 3?That God's existence is necessary
- 5HOW DOES ANSELM CONCLUDE THAT GOD'S EXISTENCE IS NECESSARY?If God is TTWNG, then it would be impossible for him to go out of existence because a being ceasing to exist is not greater than a being who exists.
It's also impossible for Him to come into existence because that would mean someone created God so he wouldn't be TTWNG - 6HOW DOES GAUNILO REJECT ANSELM'S ARGUMENT?Concept of the greatest conceivable island
Anselm's logic is absurd because if this island is perfect, must it exist in reality too, as well as just the mind? - 7HOW IS GAUNILO'S OBJECTION REJECTED?1) The island is contingent and God is necessary
2) An island has no intrinsic maximum, you can always improve it e.g. by adding a palm tree - 8HOW DOES DESCARTES PROVE GOD'S EXISTENCE?Defines God as a "supremely perfect being"
By definition, he exists because existence is a perfection.
Anything perfect (by definition) must exist - 9WHAT IS DESCARTES QUOTE ON EXISTENCE?"Existence can no more be separated from the essence of God than the fact that its three angles equal two right angles can be separated from the essence of a triangle"
- 10WHAT ARE KANT'S TWO OBJECTIONS?1) "God does not exist" is not self-contradictory. It can be true or false. If the object is held not to exist in the first place then there is no essence to be contradicted.
2) Existence is not a predicate of perfection. "He exists" adds no information about God. Talking about "so and so" in the first place assumes they exist - 11HOW ARE KANT'S OBJECTIONS REJECTED?1) Brian Davies said that by Anselm saying that God can't exist just in the mind is different to saying that God's existence is self-contradictory.
2) In some cases, existence adds something meaningful about the subject. If an idea exists in the intellect, then it is meaningful to consider whether it exists in reality as well. - 12WHAT IS NORMAN MALCOLM'S MODERN ARGUMENT?Assuming God is TTWNG
If God doesn't exist then he cannot come into existence because he would have to create himself - logically impossible or someone has to create Him which makes him a finite being
He can also not cease to exist
Existence: Impossible or Necessary! - 13WHAT IS ALVIN PLANTINGA'S ARGUMENT?In a possible world exists a maximally great and maximally excellent being.
If he exists in one possible world, he exists in all possible worlds.
Our world is a possible world therefore the maximally great/excellent being must exist in our world too - 14STRENGTHS1) Everyone (whether you believe in God or not) can agree on his definition
2) The conclusion follows the premise - 15WEAKNESSES1) Just because you imagine something (e.g. a unicorn) does not mean it exists
2) If you reject the definition of God, the argument falls apart
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- Flashcards on Ontological Argument, created by Onyeka on 11/03/2015.
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