✅design arguments based on reason Flashcards
What is Descartes ontological argument?
A supremely perfect being, therefore he possesses all perfections, including existence, which is a perfect in itself. Existence is a predicate of a perfect being. Therefore GOD EXISTS.
What is a predicate
To predicate something is it ascribe to something a quality or property
What is Descartes triangle?
Existence cannot be separated fro god, like a triangle cannot be separated form 3 angles. It is not less impossible to conceive a god, that is, a being of supremely perfect,
What are the benefits of Descartes argument
It cannot be applied to objects in space, therefore can’t use gaunilos island,
Only god can have absolute perfection, there cannot be 2 absolutes.
What does Kant say about Descartes argument
If you have a triangle, then it must have three sides, but if you do NOT have a triangle, you neither have it’s three sides, not it’s three angles.
If you accept there is a god, then it is logical to accept also his existence, but oi DOMT HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT THERE IS A GOD.
Existence isn’t a predicate, you can describe something perfectly , and then add that it exists,n
Who says existence is not a predicate?
Kant
Kant argument
Existence is not a predicate. Adding reality to a concept doesn’t make it any better,
“A hundred real Thaler doesn’t contain the least Connie more than a hundred possible Thaler”
Who argues against Kant?
Davies. He said there is a difference between real and not really Thaler. The real Thaler you can spend. They are real.
What does Bertrand Russell think?
Argues that anselms use on the notion of necessary existence represents a syllogism. Existence cannot be a re-educate, as if it was, it could be contracted than men exist. Santa Claus was a man, therefore Santa Claus exists.
Existence is not a property of things, it’s a numerical concept.
What is a syllogism?
The interference of one proposition from two premises.
Eg all men were Greek, all men are mortal, therefor all Greeks are mortal.
What does David Hume think?
Argued that the description of a thing can contain every detail possible, but we must go beyond the description itself to determine where a thing exists or not,
A think cannot “define itself into existence”, no matter how perfect it is.
Who said you can’t “define it into existence”
Hume
Strengths of the ontological argument
The conclusion is certain Provides a starting point for everyone Aquinas supports it No empirical evidence You cannot define god, have to accept the idea of god Necessary existence
Who said “there is nothing in the mind that that is not first in the senses”
Aquinas
How did Stephen Davis challenge kants criticism?
Existence does add something to the definition, a real hundred Thaler.
What in anselms quote?
That than which nothing greater can be conceived.
What is the ontological argument?
A priori and deductive argument for the existence of god, not the making of the world. It shows it is illogical to assume that god Doesn’t exist due to his nature.
What was the challenge to anselms?
From Gaunilo
Anselm said his argument was strong enough to persuade to ‘fools’ in psalms 14, who said there was no God. Gaunilo wrote on ‘behalf of the fool’, and accused anselm of making a legitimate lead from existence in the mind to exist in reality.
Example of th perfect island. Imagined there was a perfect island, it must exist in reality, furthermore, Gaunilo said that in order for this perfect island to be perfect, it must be unlike any other existing island, therefore couldn’t have actual existence but could only exists in the imagination.
What was anselms appreach to Gaunilo?
Gaunilo misunderstood his argument. Things such as us,ands are contingent. They don’t have to exist for us to imagine them. god is by definition deifferent because he isn’t a thing. God is necessary and logical which means he must exist,
Islands have no intrinsic value
Why don’t islands have any intrinsic value?
As they can always be bettered and perfected.
When WAs meditations written
1641
What is the Cartesian circle?
God exists, he guarantees the clear and distinct rule. I clearly and distinctly perceive ghat god exists,
What is anselms argument?
Proslogion 2
For him, faith is a starting point. God is TTWNCGBC. Even the unbeliever must have a definition of god in order to dismiss it as a concept.
If this definition is accepted, god must exist in reality, as that which exists in reality will always be regather than that which exists Presley in intellectu
What does anselm think
Proslogion 3
It is possible to conceive if a being, the Costner of which is necessary.god must be such a being if he is TTWNGCBC, this is because a being which possesses necessary existence will always be breathed that that of a contingent being.
Who is anselm
Benedictine monk and Archbishop of Canterbury
What was anselms starting point?
Propose a definition of the word “god.” Form this pint he tried to show that it is absurd to suggest that god doesn’t exist,
What does plantinga think
Argument may Gail as a proof, it shows that it is reasonable to believe in god.
What does Aquinas think
If we understand gods nature, then we’d know that gods nature DOES exist. But because we DONT know god nature, we have to treat it as synthetic.
In order to know god, we must have experienced him, and if we experienced him we should know he exists, but we don’t, as it takes away our choice and free will.
What is psalms 14?
“The food hath said in his heart, there is not god”
Who believed there is no definition of god, as he is a mystery?
Aquinas
Weaknesses of the ontological argument
It was an argument that was for a faith seeking understanding
Russell denied that the existence could operate as a predicate.
Dawkins, the argument is infantile, and the language of the playground.
Anselm defined god as existing. Why can’t there be other definitions,
What does Norman Malcom say
Yes to god. God is a special case, as normally existence is contingent yet god is necessary entirely different. One analytic truth exists necessarily.
What is kants book?
Critique of pure reason
What is kants conclusion?
If gods necessary existence is analytical, it seasons tell is anything if he exists or not, if synthetical, then nothing necessary about gods existnace as only analytic statements would be logically true.
All statements about the existence are synthetically verifiable or falsifiable by experience
What does Pierre Gassendi think about ontological argument
Wrote and directly criticised Descartes, something exists or does not, it is only relevant to discuss the perfection of something if it is exists, can’t say something is perfect if we have never SEEN IR BEING PERFECT,
