Arguments For Existence Of God Inductive

Question 1

What is an a posteriorei argument? And which arguments are a posteriorei?

Answer 1

A posteriorei arguments are arguments based on observation and empiricism and relate to inductive arguments.
Inductive arguments I clue teleological and cosmological arguments

Question 2

What is Aquinas first called and give the main details of it.

Answer 2

Motion or change.
Observation - things are in a state of motion or change.
Posit - look down sequence there has to be an unmoved mover.
Built on Aristotles examples of potentially efficent cause and actually, efficent cause is god.

Question 3

What is Aquinas second way based on? And what did he posit from this?

Answer 3

Cause and effect.
Observation - Everything in nature is subject to law of cause and affect.
Posit - First cause in sequence is God, infinite cause and effect are impossible, idea of cause and effect law is simple and undeniable. It is impossble for anything to be the cause of itself. Efficent cause god - intermediate cause - ultimate cause.

Question 4

What is Aquinas third way called? And what did he posit from it?

Answer 4

Contingency and necessity.
Observation - everything that exists has the possibility of not existing (Contingency).
Posit - if this is true of everything then nothing would have ever existed. Because for contingent things to exists it requires a neccasary being for aquinas this is good

Question 5

Who proposed Kalam cosmological argument? What are the 4 stipulated points in their argument? And how did they challange infinite regression?

Answer 5

William Craig.

1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause of it’s existence.
2. The Universe began to exist.
3. Therefore, the universe has a cause of it’s existence.
4. Since no scientific explanation can provide a casual account of the universes origin the cause must be personal.

I. Actual infinite cannot exist ii. A beginningless temporal series of events I’d an actual infinite. iii. Therefore it cannot exist.

Question 6

What are some positive and negatives on the cosmological arguments? (5) (2+ 3-)

Answer 6

+ 1. Recognises more than one correct answer. - flexibility.
+ 2. Inductive arguments are the basis for widely accepted scientifically acclaimed theories. Similar validity to science.

• 3. Not persuasive limited effectiveness as they are undeniable proofs, flexibility could be Seen as weakness
• 4. Can be challenged by alternative evidence.
• 5. Self defeating.

Question 7

What are some positives and negatives of the kalam cosmological argument. (5) (2+ 3-)

Answer 7

+ 1. William Craig has an advantage over Aquinas in of that contemporary science such as the big bang support is sudden start of the universe.

• 2. at the point in which Craig asserts God as the beginning cause external to the universe he loses the support as talked about and now rest on the individual’s willingness to accept the next steps in his argument.

+ 3. In the sense of a theist it is a convincing argument

• 4. However to those who are unfaithful the argument does not have the same power to convince.
• 5. Craig suggests that infinity is impossible however the personal created is infinite self-defeating.

Question 8

What is the direct quote from Aquinas stating the name of his second way?
What is the direct quote from Aquinas explaining infinity?
What is the direct quote from Aquinas stating necessary existence?

Answer 8

” The second way is from the nature of the efficent cause”
“But if in efficient causes it is possible to go to infinity, there will be no first efficient cause and neither will there be an ultimate effect”
“Therefore it is necessary to admit it first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God.”

Question 9

What is Aquinas 5th way referred to as and outline with observation and posit.

Answer 9

Intelligence.
Observation - things that lack intelligence (arrow), cannot move toward there useful end. Unless something with intelligence moved it. (Archer)
Posit - so the usefully outcome of the universe must have been directed by an intelligent being.

Question 10

What is paley’s watch analogy using observation and posit.

Answer 10

Analogy of complex design.
Observation - that things such as a watch are too complex to come across and think they were not designed.
Posit - if you came across a watch In The wild you would assume it had been designed by a watchmaker not by chance in the environment. Applying this to the universe you can assume and analogise that the universe must have been designed as it is too complex.

Question 11

What is tennants anthropic argument in terms of observation (3) and posit.

Answer 11

Observation - natural world provides precisely things that are necessary for life to be sustained, the fact that the natural world we live in can be observed and holds itselg up for rational analysis, and the fact through the process of evolution the development of intelligence human life to the degree that this life can observe the universe it exists in.
Posit - natural appreciation beings have four things considered beautiful and asks why such appreciation is part of our nature. This appreciation was a direct result of benevolent god designing the world fit for human life and that is why we have the appreciation of beauty towards it.

Question 12

What are some positives on the cosmological argument and negatives? ( Persuasiveness in modern society)
(4) (2+ 2-)

Answer 12

• 1. Aquinas obeserveations are flawed as he gets scientific laws wrong such as “motion” something can move itself with inertia. Kenny called this wrecking the first way
• 2. Little relevance due to the scientific advancements and new information readily available through internet etc.

+ 3. While science can quite effectively describe what the universe does and how it therefore started, it cannot give an answer to why, and the Kalam cosmological can do this.

+ 4. Cosmological arguments are based on cause and so.is science so they should.nit be discredited.

Question 13

Positive and negatives about the teleological argument.

5) (2+ 2-

Answer 13

+ 1. Effectiveness based on it’s a posteriori inductive form based on evidence and supported by the analogical evidence provided by Paley. Points demonstrate how effective it is.

+ 2. furthermore the contribution of tenant with both his anthropic and aesthetic argument surely proves beyond reasonable doubt that there is a universe deliberately designed for intelligent life. Survival and enjoyment.

• 3. The use of analogy is subject as no human machine can ever adequately compared to the complex universe in which we inhabit. Similarities between universe and watch are far too few.
• 4. If we accept analogy what happens if something goes wrong in the universe will they accept? Could be a bad designer due to faults in universe? And did they leave.
• 5. Arrogant to suggest an ablilty yo identify the cause of the complex universe. By giving the name of a theistic god. Richard Dawkins said holding this view is “childish” and “unhelpful” to those trying to find a proper answer.

Question 14

What are David hume’s four points in reference to challenges to the cosmological argument.

Answer 14

1. Just because we observe cause-and-effect does not mean this applies to the university self (the fallacy of composition)
2. whilst we can talk about things that we have experience of we have no right to talk about universe which we have no experience of (unmeaningful)
3. There is not enough evidence to see whether the universe had a cause and definitely not enough to make any conclusion as to what the cause might have been.
4. even if God could be accepted there is no way to know what type of God it is and certainly no way to me it was a god of classical theism.

Question 15

What is hume’s criticism of analogies and the teleological argument.

Answer 15

1. Example of house architect and builder, just because we know how a house is designed does not mean that we can see from this how the universe is designed the house and universe are two different.
2. as the universe is unique no sufficient way to explain sergeants through analogy is available any analogy put forward is ultimately futile.3
3. any suggestion that the universe is comparable to some artificial constructs that is a house and machine is also rejected as the universe demonstrate greater similarities to living organisms than it does static artificial constructs.
4. Even if we assume the universe has a designer, and have no university compared to how do we know that this one has a good design. Furthermore how do we know that God is a good god and not a bad designer. This plays with his omni qualities.

Question 16

How can The big bang theory and Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection and evolution be used as weaknesses of the teleological and cosmological argument.

Answer 16

1. Big bang theory can be used as a weakness as it shows that there could have been a random chance that the universe started from a chaotic state, hello Mam modern philosophers have also assumed that could have still been God that caused the big bang.
2. Charles Darwin theory of evolution notes by random chance that originates life in the universe. through survival of the fittest evolution and natural selection only the strongest of particular species survive long enough to pass on its genes. goes against tennants anthropic argument as we have adapted to our surroundings in order to have favorable chances to survive.

Question 17

What is aquinas direct quote in relation to his fifth way?

Answer 17

“now whatever lack knowledge cannot move towards an end, unless it be directed by some endowned with intelligence.”

Question 18

What is tennants direct quote of his asthetic argument?

Answer 18

” the saturation of nature with beauty … God reveals himself in many ways and some men enter his temple by the gate of Beautiful “

Question 19

What is the direct quote of the conclusion of hume’s architect analogy.

Answer 19

” but surely you will not affirm, that the universe bears such resemblance to a house., “

Question 20

What is an a priori argument and how does it relate to deductive proof and which argument does it fall under.

Answer 20

Without or prior to evidence or experiance.
Related to a deductive proof as they have no evidence but assume that if a proof is true the conclusion must be true.
Ontological argument.

Question 21

What are the two premises and conclusion of Anselms ontological argument? And what did he call those who didn’t believe?

Answer 21

Premise 1: beings exist both in the mind and reality
Premise 2: god is the greatest possible being that can be thought of.
Conclusion : in order to be the greatest possible thing to be thought of would require existence in both mind and reality.
Those who don’t believe are fools.

Question 22

How does anselm demonstrate that God has neccasary existence?

Answer 22

God cannot be thought of to not exist.
If God exists, is wither a being which can not be thought of not existing (neccasary), or he is a being which can be thought of not existing (contingent).
If we use definition for god “ that which nothing greater can be concived”, for God to be the greatest he must be neccasary as he would not be the greatest thing otherwise

Question 23

Positives and negatives of a priori arguments as persuasive.

Answer 23

+ 1. In essance only.thing needed for a a priori arguments is understanding if the laungage expressed. Independence from experiance means they are intrinsically persuasive m

• 2. A posteriorei may be more persuasive as they are based on logical and empirical evidence to which we can confirm ourselves making them more persuasive.

+ 3. A priori arguments tend to lead to inescapable conclusions.

• 4. A priori arguments rely heavily on the premises in terms of providing sound arguments. If premises are suspect then the argument fails.
• 5. A priori argument of ontological argument required the knowledge and understanding of God and his description. Not applieble to atheists.

Question 24

What was the definition of god for Descartes?

And what two analogies did Descartes call use and what are they.

Answer 24

God is a being who is ultimately perfect and posses all perfections.
Idea of a triangle - neccasary that is has three sides and all interior angles add up to 180. Imposisbel for a triangle to be without.
Applied to god - equally impossible to think of god unless one considers the attribute of existence as neccasary part of his definition of God.

Mountains and valleys - cannot think of a mountain without a corresponding valley.
Applied to god - you cannot think of a ultimately perfect being without it existing.

Question 25

Who did Malcom side with and what did he propose?

Answer 25

He agreed with Anselms argument that God is the greatest possible thing that can be thought of and therefore have necessary existence.

Malcom proposed that the very face god is the greatest thing that can be thought of, necessarily means that God though equally be described as an ultimate being. That has no limits and therefore cannot be limited by existence.

Question 26

What is gaunilos reply to anselm. How is his point criticized.

Answer 26

Must be possible to hypothesise that the most perfect island must have neccasary existence.
He states that the idea of something that can be thought of existing separate from mind, just because it is the greatest thing we can think of is logical nonsense.

He is criticised as he has misunderstood the ontological argument, as god is necassary a island is not.

Question 27

What is Immanuel kant’s objection to the ontological argument (Descartes).

Answer 27

Kant objected that God possessed all perfections, as it is inaccurate to describe existence as perfection. As the attributed perfections by Descartes we’re predicates ( defining attributes ). Existence cannot be a predicate simply because existence can be a thing that an object can possess or lack but does not describe anything about the object.

Question 28

What is a quote by anselm directly relating to gods existence.

Answer 28

” god truly exists and that there is a supreme good requiring nothing else which all of the things require for their existence and well-being and whatever we believe regarding the Divine being”

Question 29

What is a quote from Rene Descartes relating to his analogy of God.

Answer 29

” I clearly see that existence can no more be separate from the essence of God than can it’s having three angles equal to two right angles be separated from the existence of a triangle. “

Question 30

What is Gaunilos quote in response to anselm.

Answer 30

now if someone should tell me that there is such an Ireland I should easily understand his words in which there is no difficulty. “

Question 31

What example did can’t use in denial of Descartes argument.

Answer 31

He is the example of 100 thalers a Prussian currency, he asks the reader to consider what difference is held in the understanding of the owner’s by adding the phrase it exists. So the idea of existence adds nothing to idea of God.