Arguments using observation and reason essay Flashcards
what is essay 1 ?
assess the cosmological argument
what is the intro essay 1 ?
A Posteriori argument
Cosmological - trying to prove the existence of God by explaining that everything must have a cause except God
what scholars is it essay 1 ?
Aquinas, bertrand russell, hume, william lane craig, hilbert
point para 1 essay 1
Aquinas first way
argument from motion - there cannot be an infinite regress of movers. Therefore there must be an unmoved mover . he calls this god
Motion means the change from potentiality to actuality
counter para 1 essay 1
David Hume - Book: Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779)- infinite regress could be possible , just because its hard to understand doesnt mean it is impossible
Aquinas is only assuming the universe has a beginning
J.L.Mackie - train example - you can have an inifinite number of train carriages but still needs an engine in charge - like a pm
counter counter para 1 essay 1
Hilberts Hotel
intended to show that actual infinites cannot exist in this universe
point para 2 essay 1 ?
Second way - argument from cause
everything within the universe is the result of a succession of causes
an infinitely long chain of causes is not possible therefore there must be an uncaused causer
counter para 2 essay 1
Bertrand Russel
if all things have a cuase , then does this mot mean God must also have a cause
causes are regilarly observed in localised areas of space and time , but this doesnt mean the same for a larger scale - wrong to assume when there is no scientific evidence
maybe the case that infinites exist in nature in ways that humans aren’t aware of
ALSO- BIG BANG
countercounter para 2 essay 1
William Lane Craig - kalam cosmolgical argument
All things that begin to exist has a cause. The universe began to exits so therefore has a cause
also - was something needed to start the big bang ?
what is essay 2 ?
Assess the ontological argument
what is the intro essay 2 ?
A priori argument
Ontological - God is the greatest thing he must exist because a God that exists is greater than a God that does not exist
what is the scholars essay 2 ?
Anselm, Descartes, Gaunilo , Kant, Hume
what is ur view essay 2 ?
point para 1 essay 1 ?
Anselm’s ontological argument - Chap 2 of his work Proslogian (1078), he states 2 premises and a conclusion about existence of God
these were P1: TTWNGCBC P2:It is better to exist in reality to exist in the mind
Conc: Therefore, God must exist
counter para 1 essay 1
Gaunilo - in his book “on behalf of the fool”- he gives the example of the island
It may be a perfect island which we are thinking of but that doesnt mean it exists - we need empirical evidence in order to know that God exists
“If someone wishes to persuade me that this island really exists beyond all doubt, I should either think he was joking or should i find it hard to judge who was the bigger fool- I , for believing him or he for thinking he had proved the existence of the island with any certanty”- check quote
countercounter para 1 essay 2 ?
Anselm - his argument only applies to God - not island
also everyones perfect island is different however god is the same
countercountercounter para 1 essay 2 ?
Gaunilo - accuses anselm of poor reasoning because simply imagining something into existence - just because we understand something in our minds , it doesn not follow that “something” must really exist.
point para 2 essay 2 ?
ant - God needs synthetic verification- need external evidence
You have to look for evidence of existence - all statements about things existing are synthetic and need external evidnce
counter para 2 essay 2
He defines God as a supremely perfect being , which has all perfections inlcuding existence. Existence is a predicate because it is part of the essence of God
e.g. a triangle , to be a traingle, must have three sides and all angles equivalent to 180 degrees. without this essence or predicate it is not a triangle, in the same way, existence cannot be seperated from the essence of God
countercounter para 2 essay 2 ?
Kant - existence is not a proper determining predicate. It does not add anything to the description or our understanding of it. So Descartes is wrong to assume that existence is a predicate
what is essay 3 ?
Assess the teleological argument
what is intro essay 3 ?
Teleolgocial - trying to prove the existnec of God by explaining that everyhting must have an end /final cause and that cause is god.
what scholars essay 3 ?
Aquinas, paley, FR Tennant, Hume, Darwin, John Stuart Mill.
point para 1 essay 3 ?
William Paley - watch analogy
Book: Natural Theology (1802)
World has similar properties of functional order and complexity to a watch , easy coheretn analogy
Also ear wig example- even tiny insects have been designed with attention to detail - shwos Gods care for all of his creation
counter para 1 essay 3 ?
Hume criticises this - Book: Concerning Natural Religion (check correct name)(1779)- 20 years before paley but still a criticism
fallacy of composition - assumes the whole world exhibits design from just analysing various parts of it.
counter counter para 1 essay 3
weak argument cos anthropic principles
FR TENNANT - if the earth was 1 cm closer to the sun it would not be able to sustain life so cant be a coincidence
point para 2 essay 3 ?
Aquinas 5th way
arow analogy - arrow cannot direct itself to the target but needs the archer to make it happen
Archer - directing intelligence (God)
quote - “Soem intelligent beings exist by whom all natural things are directed to their end , and this being we call God.
Natural bodies has an end purpose, and behave in an orderly and regular way however, because they lack the intelligence (God ) must be directing them towards their end.
counter para 2 essay 3 ?
Some may say that everything actually just happened by chance - DARWIN + DAWKINS - EVOLUTION - impersonal process of natural selection
natural selection - wasteful process - seems cruel for creatures that are not adapted to their habitats to die out and therefore why would a designer do that - all knowing designer ??
ALSO - John Stuart Mill- “Nature wills at random and inflicts tortures in apparent wantoness”
amount of suffering doesnt make sensse
counter counter para 2 essay 3 ?
Paley - broken watch - even though it may not fulfil its purpose completely we can still tell it was designed might just be a faulty designer
