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Arguments for the existence of God - Coggle Diagram
Arguments for the existence of God
Design Argument
William Paley
1743-1805
Graduated from Christ College, Cambrdige
Natural Theology (1802)
A Posteriori
Premises
Watch analogy
P1 The watch is complex
P2 So the watch must have a complex maker (Man)
P3 The universe is much more complex, it has complexities and regularities
P4 Therefore the universe must also have a (even more complex) maker
P5 The maker is God
How it SUPPORTS/GOES AGAINST FAITH
Supports Faith
Allows for meaningful discussions about God from reason and observation
Defence of atheism - reason and observation
Simple = Basis
Doesn't Support Faith
Questions over the nature of god
There is so much evil, unhappiness in the world - this certainly does not align with the view of the Christian God
Ontological Argument
Anselm
Benedrictine monk
11th Century
Claims that God's existence can be deduced from the definition of God
A priori - deductive
Premises
P3 - An idea existing in reality and in the mind is much greater than just existing in the mind
P1 - Anselm's definition of God: The being than which nothing greater can be conceived
P2 'Even a fool can understand this'
P4 - If God only existed in the mind, something greater could be conceived
P5 - In order to be the greatest thing, God must exist in mind and reality
How it SUPPORTS/GOES AGAINST FAITH
Supports Faith
Analytical proof - definition is true/known by believers from religous experience, Barth
Doesn't Support Faith
Definition is inadequate - it may be wrong
Gaunilo's response is valid
Fideism
God loses his value because he is contained within this definition
Criticisms
Gaunilo argued that using Anselm's logic, you can argue the greatest of ANYTHING must exist in reality (Most perfect island must exist as it is greater to exist in reality)
Anselm argued islands are contingent and God is necessary so this is flawed. Only God has necessary existence
Cosmological Argument
Aquinas
13th Century Italian
Italy
"Summa Theologica"
Aquinas' 5 Ways:
Argument from Motion
Argument from Causation
Argument from Contingency
Argument from Degrees
Teleological Argument
A Posteriori
Observations of the cosmos
Premises
P1 - Everything can exist or not exist. Everything in the natural world is contingent
P2 - If everything is contingent, then at some time there was nothing
P3 - If there was nothing, then nothing can come from nothing
C1 - Therefore, something must exist necessarily, otherwise nothing would exist now
P4 - Everything must either be caused or uncaused
P5 - The series of necessary beings cannot be infinite, there would be no explanation for that
C2 - There must be something that is uncaused and necessary
C3 - We understand this as God
How does it SUPPORT/GO AGAINST Faith?
Supports Faith
Allows for meaningful discussions about God from reason and observation
Defence of atheism
Simple = basis
Doesn't Support Faith
Barth - no religous experience
Bertrand Russell
Old man who phoned into BBC radio
Fallacy of Composition
Argued that there is a logical jump in Aquinas' reasoning
"Everything in the universe is caused: the universe is caused". Fallacy of composition. Russell says the universe could be uncaused.
Criticisms
Bertrand Russell, influenced by Hume
"The fallacy of composition"
He argues that Aquinas has granted the truth of one premise and then assumed and jumped to the truth of all other premises and conclusions