arguments for the existence of god

Question 1

define analogy

Answer 1

a comparison between two things

Question 2

define a posteriori

Answer 2

an argument that is based on experience rather than logic

Question 3

define a priori

Answer 3

an argument that uses logic to prove an initial definition to be correct

Question 4

define a contingency

Answer 4

an event or condition that depends on something else, which may or may not happen. Things do not contain the reason for their existence but may depend upon external causes

Question 5

what is a deductive argument

Answer 5

the process of arguing by which an argument follows a certain premises. If all the premises are true then the conclusion is true.

Question 6

define faith

Answer 6

a belief in something or someone, an attitude of trust (belief in), assent to unproved assertions (belief that)

Question 7

what is an inductive argument

Answer 7

a form of argument in which if all the premises are true, the conclusion is probably true but might not be

Question 8

define necessary

Answer 8

used by Anselm referring to the external nature of God, and that god exists so truly that god cannot be thought of as not existing

Question 9

what is necessary existence

Answer 9

used by Aquinas, when applied to God refers to the external and transcendent nature of God, this means that god exists outside time and space but is able to create and act within it. Necessary existence is not to have failed to exist

Question 10

define qua

Answer 10

latin word meaning ‘as relating to’

Question 11

define qua purpose

Answer 11

as relating to the purpose of something

Question 12

qua regularity

Answer 12

as relating to the regular motion of something

Question 13

define syllogism

Answer 13

a form of deductive reasoning where the arguments moves from the general t the specific to reach a conclusion

Question 14

what is a teleological argument

Answer 14

‘teleos’ is a greek word that means end or purpose
the design argument

Question 15

what does the God of classical theism mean

Answer 15

this holds that God is an absolute eternal, all knowing (omniscient), all powerful (omnipotent), and perfect being

Question 16

The ontological argument

Answer 16

The arguments for the existence of God based on the idea that the very fact we have a concept of God must mean God exists

Question 17

what is parleys argument for the existence of God

Answer 17

A teleological argument in which he believes that the general happiness or well being evident in the physical and social order of things suggests a creator or god

Question 18

what analogy is paleys argument based on

Answer 18

Observations of the properties of a watch and the properties of the universe
begins with an observation of a rock and then a watch
A watch has complex parts put together for a purpose designed by a watch maker for a specific purpose
So universe must have also been designed, but the universe is much more complex so the designer must be far more wonderful than that of a watchmaker
He uses the eye as an example

Question 19

what are 2 sets of observations that paley makes to prove his argument

Answer 19

The complexity of the biological world eg the eye or laws of nature
The regularity of the orbits

Question 20

7 essay points for paleys god existence argument

Answer 20

similar effects have similar causes
qua purpose
qua regularity
complexity vs simplicity
a posteriori
a probability’ argument not a proof
argues inductively

Question 21

what is the analogy of qua purpose

Answer 21

argues everything was designed with a purpose
argues a hypothetical then draws conclusions
about the nature of existence from this hypothetical

Question 22

example of paleys qua purpose argument

Answer 22

walking through a heath and came across a stone you would disregard its existence because it is simply a stone but if you came across a watch you would be unable to ignore it because of its complexity and wonder how it got there or how it was made

Question 23

example of paleys qua purpose argument

Answer 23

walking through a heath and came across a stone you would disregard its existence because it is simply a stone but if you came across a watch you would be unable to ignore it because of its complexity and wonder how it got there or how it was made

Question 24

what is qua regularity

Answer 24

the order of the universe suggests a designer

Question 25

how does paley argue qua regularity

Answer 25

after 1687 newton formulatied laws of motion and gravity suggesting the universe is like a machine
he believes objects cannot provide themselves with purpose
Theoretically it would be possible to have the laws of the universe in any state but only in the narrow set of boundaries would we find the stability of ellipses that we do in our universe - paley argues this stability can only be created by a higher being and for him this is God

Question 26

hume and paley context

Answer 26

hume lived before paley so his arguments were general

Question 27

what is dialogues concerning natural religion and who wrote it

Answer 27

written by david hume
a narration of a conversation between three imaginary people demea, philo and cleanthes
they talk about the universe and the possibility of a god
written this way as it was illegal to be atheist

Question 28

what are humes 8 major arguments

Answer 28

the god of classical theism
epicurean hypotheses
we did not witness the creation of the universe
polytheism design presupposes intelligence
analogy
who designed god?
anthropomorphising god
infant deity

Question 29

what is humes god of classical theism argument

Answer 29

the world is far from harmonious - suffering and disease
so we question why a benevolent god would allow this
no point in arguing the universe is orderly and that is what proves god if the universe has such disorder
suggests an inadequate or vindictive god
if god is all loving and all powerful then will cannot exist, but evil does exist so god or an all loving god cannot

Question 30

what epicurus quote is used by hume in his the god of classical theism argument

Answer 30

‘is god willing to prevent evil but not able? then he is not omnipotent. If he is able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?’

Question 31

what is humes we did not witness the creation of the universe argument

Answer 31

hume was an empiricist so knowledge of causes and effects is based upon experience
argues we don’t know whether the order in nature was the result of design as we didn’t see it happen
+ if intelligent design only in small fraction of universe cannot say it is a productive force of entire universe

Question 32

what is humes pilyeithism argument

Answer 32

design presupposes intelligence
hume uses analogy of a ship, the complexity of the construction of it taking many shipwrights, hume says this can be applied to the universe
this analogoy doesnt support the idea of a monotheistic God
Suggests the universe was created by a committee of gods, an apathetic god, or an incompetent God merely as an experiment

Question 33

humes epicurean hypothesis argument

Answer 33

the possibility of infinite time means there is a huge but finite no of particles, in infinite time they go through every possible combination
This stable order doesn’t necessarily have a creator but it still exists in stability
he suggests the world maybe a smoothly functioning system because of ‘chance permutations’

Question 34

hume epicurean hypothesis quote

Answer 34

the smooth functioning on the universe may be a result of ‘chance permutations of particles falling into a temporary or permanent self-sustaining order whuch thus has the appearance of design’

Question 35

humes analogy argument

Answer 35

-an analogical argument is only as strong as the analogy between the two compared things
-the universe and everything in it is unique
-there are more dissimilar things between a machine and the universe than there are similar
-we should not expect everywhere in the universe to have the same qualities

Question 36

what is humes who designed god argument

Answer 36

the design argument requires order having explaination that cannot be a brute fact
but God is taken as a brute fact
why should we prefer a divine brute fact over a naturalistic brute fact
God cannot be explained anymore than the design of the universe, but the universe is a brute factor as we experience it

Question 37

what is humes anthropomorphising of God argument

Answer 37

the design argument leads to God being likened to a human, a human designer of a man made item
if the strength of the argument is the analogy between a man made machine then the world maker has similar human qualities to a human designer
does his have a body gender or mortality?

Question 38

what is humes infant deity argument

Answer 38

if evil exists with flaws in the design then hume cannot support an all loving and all powerful god
therefore it could be an apprentice god/s who have moved on to create other universes whilst learning from their mistakes

Question 39

strengths of paleys design argument

Answer 39

-paley doesn’t say god i’d human like rather above space and time
-supported by anthropic principle
-simple inductive argument
-oceans razor (simplest is always right)
-free will defence, evil is unavoidable in order to bring about good
-evolution doesn’t destroy the design argument as evolution doesn’t explain itself so it could be part of the design

Question 40

what is the name of aquinas important book

Answer 40

summa theological

Question 41

What did Aquinas accept about god

Answer 41

That the statement ‘god exists’ is self evident

Question 42

What did Aquinas accept about god

Answer 42

That the statement ‘god exists’ is self evident

Question 43

important aquinas quote on god being self evident

Answer 43

“gods effects.. are enough to prove god exists, even if they may not be enough to comprehend what he is “

Question 44

Aquinas view on infinity

Answer 44

He did not accept it as he believed there must be a beginning and an end end of all things, as if a chain of movement or cause went continuously back in time and there was no beginning then there would be no reason for the universe to exist.

Question 45

aquinas argument for contingency

Answer 45

things do not contain their own reason for existence but depend on external causes, objects around us exist but they could just as easily not exist

Question 46

what is the basis of aquinas argument in observation

Answer 46

We perceive through our senses and they suggest a real world exists. Everything has a starting point and an end which we see play out.