Arguments for The Existence of God Ontological Cosmological

Arguments for The Existence of God Ontological Cosmological Teleological

God’s Existence Not subjective Not unprovable in principle Natural Theology: Knowing God through reason Biblical Theology: Knowing God through revelation

The Ontological Argument A priori (vs. a posteriori) God exists by definition If you think about the concept of God hard enough, you’ll see that he must exist

Descartes (1596– 1650( God is a perfect being A perfect being must contain all perfections Existence is a perfection. God exists.

Anselm (1033– 1109) Proslogion (“Discourse) Originally “Faith Seeking Understanding” I understand in order to believe vs. I believe in order to understand.

Anselm’s Version Reductio ad absurdum Indirect proof - show that atheism leads to a contradiction, so theism must be true

Anselm’s Version Assume God doesn’t exist God exists only in the mind The Greatest Conceivable Being (GCB) exists only in the mind But this can’t be true because there is a greater being, which exists not only in the mind but in reality as well

Anselm’s Version The GCB exists ONLY in the mind The GCB isn’t the GCB A is not A <-- Contradiction Atheism leads to a contradiction Atheism is false It’s not true that God doesn’t exist God exists

Anselm’s Version Assume not-G. If not-G, then GCB = not-GCB Not-not-G G

Gaunillo’s Objection The Greatest Conceivable Island Objection (Perfect Island, Lost Island) Assume the GCI exists only in the mind. If the GCI exists only in the mind, then a greater island can be imagined, which exists not only in the mind but in reality The GCI isn’t really the GCI (contrad. ) The GCI must exist.

Gaunillo’s Objection Anselm: My argument doesn’t work for the greatest conceivable kind of type of being, just the greatest conceivable being in general. Once the limiting, imperfect particulars of the island are eliminated, the Island starts to look like God.

Kant’s Objection Existence isn’t a property (real predicate) The concept of a real $100 is the same as an imaginary $100; it’s just that one is instantiated. Existence applies to a thing and it’s properties together; it is not itself a property.

Malcolm’s Modal Version God is a necessary being. If God’s existence is possible, then it’s actual. God’s existence is possible. God must exist. Objection: Maybe God’s existence isn’t possible.

Other Objections God doesn’t’ exist in the mind. Exist “in the mind” equivocates on the term “exists. ” The terms “greater” and “greatest” are vague, value-laden or assume a Platonic metaphysics with degrees of reality. Which is greater Jupiter or the DNA molecule?