Scholars' views. Flashcards
1
Q
Russel: reductio ad absurdum.
A
God can be compared to a unicorn: they can be described and have many predicates, but do not exist.
2
Q
Hume’s fork.
A
God is not a necessary being: a world without him can be imagined, unlike a triangle without 3 sides.
3
Q
Davies: petitio principii.
A
Anselm’s argument is a circular one: it starts and ends with the same statement, so doesn’t prove anything on the existence of God. It does not get anywhere.
4
Q
Aquinas.
A
God can not be defined- his perfection is not concrete. He has to be proven through observation.
5
Q
Plantinga.
A
A maximally great being could exist in another world, so it would govern all the other worlds, even if it only existed in one.
