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! ontological argument ! - Coggle Diagram
! ontological argument !
A priori arg
based on the use of logi alone, no experience needed, relies on reason alone
deductive arg
if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true, the premises logically entail the conclusion
1) Anselm
version 1;
P2) a being that exists in reality ('de re') is greater than a being that exists in the mind alone ('in intellectu')
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criticism - Gaunilo
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- this is absurd! you cannot move from the thought to reality
Anslem responds
the island is contingent, therfore you cannot conceive of a 'greatest' possible island as it cannot exist. (its dependant, limited, can be destroyed, not limitless, not omnipresent like God
version 2:
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P2) its greater to be a necessary being than a contingent being, since a contingent being might not exist (its experience is 'possible')
Conc) god is a necessary being & cannot not exist, its impossible for a necessary being to not exist
“The fool says in his heart there is no God” - from his book the Proslogian - aims to prove fool wrong
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analytical arg
its truth or falsify is given by the definition of the terms used (e.g. 'this triangle has 3 sides' is analytically true 'triangle' = '3 sided object')
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2) Descartes
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just as the essence of a triangle is to be a 3 sided shape whose angles = 180', God's essence is 'perfection' & therfore he cannot not exist
Criticism - Kant
1) if you have triangles then the 3 sides & 3 angles must exist, but if triangles doesn't exist then the 3 sides & 3 angles are irrelevant - they don't exist either, therefore if God doesn't exist, neither does his perfection/existence
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BUT! Stephan David;
criticises Kant by saying that real money is greater than imaginary money not cause there more of it but cause it can be used
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additional criticisms
Russel
existence is not a predicate if it was then it would be true that, men exist, Santa is a man therefore Santa exists - the term necessary being is being rejected - its a tortology
we can talk about thing that do & don't exist in the same way, it may give the impression that he things that don't exist do but its obvious they don't - existence cant only refer to synthetic things
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Aquinas
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God cannot be understood through definition, rather God has revealed himself to humans through his creation - perfectly designed & things in it reflect the aspects of his character (analogies of attribution)
Strength of Onto arg
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not based on flawed, unreliable sensory data
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Weaknesses of Onto arg
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'God exists necessarily' --> meaningless & unverifiable statement, only concepts are necessary
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