metaphysics of god 3 markers Flashcards
causal principle
every event that occurs has a cause OR everything that begins to exist has a cause
anselm’s definition of God
a being than which nothing greater can be conceived
atemporal causation
when the cause of an effect is outside of time, and so does not temporally precede the effect
cosmological argument
an argument for the existence of God based on facts about what exists. God is argued to be the first or ‘sustaining cause/explanation of some feature of universe’
descartes’ definition of god
a supremely perfect being; a being with all perfections
malcom’s definition of god
an unlimited being (a necessary being: one that couldn’t not exist)
predicate
that part of a proposition/sensation which describes or characterises the thing identified
fallacy of composition
wrongly inferring that something is true of the whole from the fact that it is true of some or all of the parts
infinite series/regress of causes/explanations
this is when every cause has/requires a distinct cause or every explanation itself has/requires a distinct explanation forming a causal/explanatory series of infinite length
moral evil
harm or suffering caused intentionally by free agent/human beings
natural evil
harm or suffering not caused intentionally by free agents/human beings and instead caused by natural/physical events and processes
ontological argument
an argument for the existence of god which is based only on a priori premises, including a priori truths about the concept/nature/essence of god
principle of sufficient reason
for any/all truths/facts/events there must be a sufficient reason why they are as they are and not otherwise
spatial order
what swinburne calls ‘regularities of copresence’ - namely patterns of order within space at one instant of time eg the arrangements of parts within the body
teleological argument
an argument for the existence of god based on the identification of purpose/design/complexity/order within things that exist
temporal causation
when the cause of an effect is within time, and so temporally precede the effect
temporal order
what Swinburne calls ‘regularities of succession - namely patterns of behaviour of objects over time eg their behaviour in accordance with the laws of nature
god is eternal
god exists outside time and so has no beginning/end, since these make sense only in time
god is everlasting
god exists in time - he exists throughout all time with no beginning or end
omnipotence
it is possible for god to bring about any (logically possible) state of affairs (that do not undermine his perfection)
omniscience
god knows all true propositions and couldn’t possibly lack this knowledge
omnibenevolence
god only does/thinks/commands what is morally good and cannot do/think anything morally bad
non-cognitivism about religious language
The claim that religious utterences are not truth-apt (they are not propositions). Religious predicates/concepts do NOT contribute to the descriptive/factual meaning of propositions and so can NOT be used to express cognitive belief states.
cognitivism about moral language
The claim that religious utterences can be truth-apt (they can be propositions). Religious predicates/concepts contribute to the descriptive/factual meaning of propositions and so can be used to express cognitive belief states.
falsification principle
The claim that if there is nothing which an utterence denies (no evidence that counts against/falsifies it) then there is nothing which it asserts either: and
so it is not really an proposotion/assertion.
metaphysical language
Language that at least attempts to make claims (propositions) about entities/properties that are not empirically observable.
religious statements are ‘eschatologically verifiable’
It is possible for (at least some) religious statements that we make on while on earth to be verified (i.e. by this Hick means for any grounds for rational doubt about them to have been removed) through experiences (of God and God’s revaling of God’s purpose for us) that occur in the afterlife
