Leibniz arg (principle of sufficient reason)

how can this arg. also be referred to

arg. from contingency

what kind of arg is it

deductive - if the premises are true then the conclusion must also be true

what is meant by a contingent being

a contingent being may exists or not exists (whose non existence isnt a logical contradiction)

what is meant by a necessary being

a being whose nonexistence is logically impossible

what is the main aim of the arg

to argue that God exists as a necessary substance that provides sufficient reason for all contingent things

give the arg in standard form

• the principle of sufficient reason states that every fact has a explanation that provides a sufficient reason for why things are as they are and not otherwise

• there are 2 kinds of truth, those of reasoning and those of fact

• to provide a sufficient reason for any contingent fact, we must look outside the sequence of contingent facts

• the suffienct reason contingent facts must be a necessary substance that is a sufficient reason for all contingent facts

• this necessary substance is God

• therefore God exists

what are the responses Leibniz argument

• Leibniz arg commits the fallacy of composition as it is a mistake to say that the whole series of causes has an explanation simply because each event has an explanation

• hume argues that a necessary being is impossible as a being’s non existence in never inconceivable. thus there is always a possible world in which the being does not exist.