1.4 - Arguments based on reason

Question 1

What is the ontological argument

Answer 1

-a priori argument, uses principles, conceptual truth, definitions to demonstrate gods existence
-uses logic rather than evidence and sense experience
-everything exists in a contingent way,relies on something
-gods existence is different to anything else

Question 2

Anselms first ontological argument

Answer 2

-if we have a perfect god then he must exist
-a god who exists in our minds would be inferior to a real god and god cannot be inferior to anything
-‘god is that than which nothing greater can be thought’

Question 3

Anselms second ontological argument

Answer 3

-contingent beings are inferior to necessary beings
-as god is perfect he must have necessary existence
-necessary beings cannot fail to exist so he must

Question 4

Analytic propositions

Answer 4

-true by definition, ‘unmarried men are bachelors’
-there is nothing we need to do to test the proposition
-anselm argues the statement ‘god exists’ is analytic, the concept of god includes existence so without existence he cant be called god

Question 5

Synthetic propositions

Answer 5

-adds something to our understanding beyond the definition of the word
-we need more than deduction to know its true
-we need experience, to see it firsthand

Question 6

Gaunilo’s island analogy criticism

Answer 6

-uses the idea of an island to replace god
-if we imagine a perfect island, just because its the most perfect doesnt mean it exists, the same applies to god
-cant bring something into existence by defining it as a superlative

Question 7

Aquinas’ criticisms of anselm

Answer 7

-gods existence cannot be proved by a priori arguments it needs posteriori
-it is possible to imagine there being no god but it is not possible to claim truth doesnt exist as its a contradiction
-aquinas believed god is unknowable so we cannot know god is greater than what can be thought

Question 8

Descartes ontological argument

Answer 8

-some concepts are innate and shared by all humanity
-descartes thought we understand equality, cause, shape and number from birth and what god is
-existence is part of the essence of god
-existence is a perfection and god is perfect so he exists

Question 9

Kants criticique of ontological arguments

Answer 9

-‘existence is not a predicate’, an attribute of something
-when something exists it doesnt mean it has the characteristic of existence
-we cannot know something exists without it being actualised otherwise its just in our minds

Question 10

Norman Malcom

Answer 10

-agreed with kant ordinary contingent existence is not a predicate
-the idea of gods necessary existence could provide a successful argument
-in order to be god, he must have necessary existence

Question 11

Malcoms argument

Answer 11

-is god does not exist today, he never can and never will
-if god does exist he must exist necessarily
-his existence is impossible or necessary, nothing else
-gods existence is not impossible
-given that gods existence is not impossible it must be necessary meaning god must exist