ARGUING FOR GOD'S EXISTENCE.  CAN WE KNOW THAT GOD EXISTS?

1.  Non-philosophical arguments

2.  Philosophical arguments

THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT - a priori.  The Being Argument

Deductive
1.  God is the GCB
2.  Therefore, God exists as an idea.
3.  To exist is better than not to exist.
4.  Existing as an idea and existing in reality are different things.
5.  Existing in reality is better than existing as an idea.
6.  If the GCB was only an idea, there would be a greater GCB (reductio form).
7.  Therefore, the GCB, God, exists in reality.

COMMENTS ON THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
1.  The only argument to focus on essential attributes of God.
2.  The Greatest Conceivable Island Problem
3.  Is Existence a predicate?
 

The COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT -a posteriori and causal

Aquinas' versions:
MOTION/CAUSATION/CONTINGENCY

1.  Some things in the world of sense experience are in motion/are caused/are contingent.
2.  Anything moved or caused must be moved or caused by something else unless it is self-moved or self-caused.
3.  But an infinite regress of (contingent) movers or causes is impossible.
4.  Therefore, there must be a first mover/first cause/necessary being.
5.  God is understood to be a first mover/first cause/necessary being.
6.  Therefore, God exists.

SOME CRITICAL POINTS FOR THE COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT:

1.  Perhaps the series is not a dependent being.
2.  A cause for the parts may be a cause for the whole.
3.  Maybe there is no explanation at all.
4.  No characteristics of God are proven or mentioned.
5.  Why not Amany gods?
6.  Schopenhauer's critique of the use of the PUC = Principle of Universal Causation.
7.  The Book analogy
8.  The Eskimos
9.  No proof of continued existence.
 

Principles Underlying the COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT:
1.  Universal Causation
2.  Sufficient Reason
3.  Denial of Infinite Regress
 

THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT  - a posterioi/inductive.  Purposiveness argument.

Aquinas - A plan

1.  Purpose
2.  Implies a plan
3.  Implies a planner
4.  Not chance
5.  Unintelligent beings and goals.
6.  Therefore, God, the intelligent being, exists.

Paley - the analogy

The Argument from Design

1.  Human artifacts
2.  Universe resembles them
3.  Therefore, the universe is a product of intelligent design.
4.  The universe is more complex than human artifacts.
5.  Therefore, the designer is more complex.

SOME CRITICAL POINTS FOR THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT.

1.  The Birthday Fallacy
2.  Do all actions have a goal?
3.  Random Hypothesis
4. Quality of the analogy
5.  No comparable universe
6. Disorder=order/does order exist, or do we at least sometimes impose it?
7.  Anthropomorphic God
 

MAJOR TENETS OF THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT:

1.  Without the parts, the watch wouldn't function.
2.  No need to see the designer.
3.  Perfection is not required.
4.  Some parts may not indicate purpose.
5.  Rationality implies that there is no random assembly