Theme 2: Deductive Arguments Flashcards
1
Q
Inductive
A
Conclusion is probable
2
Q
Deductive
A
Conclusion is inescapable
3
Q
Priori
A
Statement with a clear link
4
Q
Posteriori
A
Statement that doesn’t link
5
Q
Concept of a Priori
A
- not all philosophical arguments have drawn upon evidence or experience
- necessary to argue based on no prior experience or evidence
- application of pure logical reasoning to come up with a conclusion - deductive proof
- composed of a series of statements (premises) when used together = logical conclusion
- premises are true then the conclusion cannot be false
6
Q
St Anselm (1033-1109)
A
- Archbishop of Canterbury and composed ‘Proslogion’
- in his book he attempts to offer a single rational proof of God’s existence
- he believed faith came first and God is the source of ultimate good
- “for all I do not seek to understand that I may believe but I believe, that unless I believed, I should not understand”
- in order to understand you need to believe first
- ‘Truly there is a God, although then fool has said in his heart, “there is no God”’ - atheist is the fool
7
Q
St Anselm (1033-1109): First Form (Proslogion 2)
A
- “That than which nothing greater can be conceived”
- God exists in faith/mind and reality as he is all powerful
- we all comprehend in our minds which is the ultimate perfect being - both in mind/reality
- God is that which nothing greater is conceived, he exists in reality and mind
- its possible to exist in both but the two are not mutually exclusive
- has to be or he is not the ultimate being, therefore he must exist
- Painter and the Painting Example - midst exist in the mind first before becoming reality
8
Q
St Anselm (1033-1109): Second Form (Proslogion 3)
A
- ‘God cannot be conceived not to exist’
- the theme or greatness widens wing the logical step of concluding God has necessary existence - cannot be thought not to exist (Aquinas Third way)
- God is a necessary being and if he was contingent he would not be the greatest as we can imagine someone being greater
- his existence is integral of what it means to be God - exists in reality not an idea
9
Q
Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
A
- concepts of God as supremely perfect being or a being possessing all possible attributes
- God of classical theism attributes to power and knowledge - omnipotent, omniscient, omnibonevolent
- were he not to posses perfection of each and every positive attribute if possible to possess, God would not be superlative
- Imagining God without a predicate of existence it is like trying to imagine a triangle without sides
10
Q
Rene Descartes (1596-1650): Idea of a Triangle
A
- has necessary characteristics (predicate) - three sides, interior angles adding to 180
- needs to be a set of criteria that is understood by all forming the definition of what something is
11
Q
Rene Descartes (1596-1650): Mountains and Valleys
A
- you cannot think of one without the other
- wherever there is one there is always the other
- “the idea of God…is one which I find within me just as surely as the idea of any shape or number”
12
Q
Norman Malcom: Views on Proslogion 2
A
- wrote the philosophical review (1960)
- he rejects Anselm’s argument in Proslogion 2 and that proposed by Descartes
- instead sides with Guanilo and Kant
- to state something exists either because it’s greater to exist in reality or because existence is perfection and God posses all perfections, false to state
- cannot add existence to list of qualities
13
Q
Norman Malcom: Views on Proslogion 3
A
- sympathises, the very fact God is greatest possible being that can be thought of, God should be called ultimate being
- worthy of worship
- God not being ultimate = there is something greater
- “his existence must either be logically necessary or logically impossible”
14
Q
Alvin Plantinga (1932-Now)
A
- ‘Multiple Words’ eg: JFK was an American president but this is not necessary, he could have chosen a different job
- to be maximally great, being must exist in all worlds (necessary, not contingent)
1. World possible with maximal greatness
2. only exists in every possible world - requires/thinks of possibilities that although there may be a being of maximum greatness - there could be one more powerful
- maximal greatness = maximal excellence (omnipotent, omniscience and moral perfection)
- God of classical theism
15
Q
Guanilo of Marmoutier
A
- book = ‘on behalf of the fool’
- he used reduction ad absurdum (argument highlighting absurdity of conclusion)
- argues logic of Anselm would force you to conclude many things exists (which they don’t)
- “is that which nothing greater can be conceived” therefore the perfect ideal must exist and if not there must be something greater to exist
- just because it is the greatest thing we can think of doesn’t make it exist, illogical
16
Q
Guanilo of Marmoutier: Critics
A
- Anselm says you cannot compare God to an island as there is a difference between contingent and necessary being
- island possesses no intrinsic maximum (you can always add something to improve it) but God perfection is a necessary part of him
- Plantinga - God has maximal greatness; cannot be improved; intrinsic maximal
17
Q
Wider Reading: Immanuel Kant
A
- Inaccurate to describe God’s existence as perfect
- existence is not a predicate
- saying something exists tells us nothing about God
- stated he is all loving is a predicate
- predicate must gives us information
- example of 100 rhalers, nothing changes in our minds by adding the phrase ‘it exits’ (not predicate) word exists adds nothing to our definitions
- “being is obviously not a real predicate”
18
Q
Wider Reading: Gottlob Frege
A
- supports Kants theory
- first - order = tells us about nature of something
- second - order = tells us about concepts
- used existence as first order (Anselm/Descartes)
- doesn’t hold purpose
19
Q
Wider Reading: Stephen Davis
A
Argued existence is a great making quality, since the existence of money in reality rather than just the concept of money in my mind, permits me to purchase in the real world
20
Q
Who is the most convincing?
A
Immanuel Kant
