Malcolm’s ontological argument

Question 1

Question: What is the conclusion of N. Malcolm’s version of the ontological argument?

Answer 1

Answer: The conclusion is that God exists necessarily.

Question 2

Question: What is the first premise of N. Malcolm’s ontological argument?

Answer 2

Answer: The first premise states that God either exists or does not exist.

Question 3

Question: How does N. Malcolm argue for the necessity of God’s existence if God exists?

Answer 3

Answer: Malcolm argues that if God exists, God cannot go out of existence as that would require dependence on something else, thus God’s existence is necessary.

Question 4

Question: What is the fourth premise of N. Malcolm’s ontological argument?

Answer 4

Answer: The fourth premise states that the concept of God is not self-contradictory, unlike a four-sided triangle.

Question 5

Question: How does N. Malcolm conclude that God exists necessarily?

Answer 5

Answer: Malcolm concludes that since God’s existence is not impossible and is either necessary or impossible, and it is not impossible, then God exists necessarily.

Question 6

1. Question: What is one of the philosophical debates about the coherence of the concept of God?

Weakness:

Answer 6

Answer: The paradox of the stone.

Question 7

2 Question: What is another philosophical debate concerning the coherence of the concept of God?

Weakness:

Answer 7

Answer: The Euthyphro dilemma.

Question 8

3 Question: What is another debate related to the coherence of the concept of God?

Weakness:

Answer 8

Answer: The incompatibility of free will and omniscience.

Question 9

4 Question: What is one more philosophical problem related to the coherence of the concept of God?

Weakness:

Question 10

5 Question: What does Malcolm’s ontological argument emphasize regarding the concept of God?

Weakness:

Answer 10

Answer: It emphasizes that all versions of the argument rely on the concept of God being coherent.