Philosophy of Religion Exam

Cosmological Argument

1) There are things that are caused.

2) Nothing can be the cause of itself.

3) An infinite regress of causes is impossible.

4) Therefore, there must be an uncaused first cause.

5) The word “God” means uncaused first cause.

6) Therefore, God exists.

Objections to the Cosmological Argument

The word “God” means more than uncaused first cause.

How do we know an infinite regress of causes is impossible?

Hilbert’s Hotel

1) Assume an actual infinite is possible.

2) It would be possible to build a hotel with infinitely many rooms.

3) It would also be possible for all the rooms to be full.

4) Suppose twenty people check out of the hotel.

5) Now there are twenty fewer people in the hotel.

6) However, infinity minus twenty is still infinity, so there are the same number of people in the hotel.

7) Therefore, an actual infinite is impossible.

Teleological Argument

1) Human artifacts are the product of intelligent design.

2) The universe resembles human artifacts.

3) The universe is vastly more complex than human artifacts.

4) Therefore, the universe is probably the product of a vastly more intelligent designer.

Objections to Teleological Argument

1) You can’t argue from parts to the whole.

2) The universe and human artifacts are too different to compare.

3) Anthropomorphic

4) The universe is too flawed for a perfect creator to have made it

Ontological Argument

1) Assume that the Greatest Conceivable Being (GCB) exists in the mind alone and not in reality.

2) Existence in reality is greater than existence in the mind alone.

3) It is possible that the GCB could exist in reality.

4) In such a case the GCB would be greater than the GCB.

5) This is a contradiction.

6) Therefore, the GCB exists in reality, not just in the mind alone.

Objection to Ontological Argument

The argument tries to prove God’s existence by looking at the properties of God. But in premise three, it uses the possibility of God’s existence as a premise to prove God’s existence.

Pascal’s Wager

1) I don’t believe God exists, and God doesn’t exist.

2) I do believe God exists, but God doesn’t exist.

3) I don’t believe God exists, and God does exist.

4) I do believe God exists, and God does exist.

1 and 2 result in extinction. 3 could result in hell. 4 results in heaven. Therefore, it is rational to believe 4.

Objections to Pascal’s Wager

1. It is immoral to believe any statement without sufficient evidence.

2. One cannot choose one’s beliefs.

Argument from Mystical Experiences

1) There is great agreement among mystics concerning the spiritual nature of reality.

2) When there is such agreement among observers their observations are usually correct.

3) There is no reason to believe these mystics are delusional.

4) Therefore, there is probably a spiritual nature to reality.

Objection to Argument From Mystical Experiences

Mystical experiences cannot be repeated in the laboratory.

Argument from Evil

1) If God exists, then God is perfectly good and all powerful.

2) A person is morally obligated to stop evil if it is within their power to do so.

3) Since God is supposed to be perfectly good, God would want to stop evil.

4) Since God is supposed to be all powerful, God could stop evil.

5) Evil exists.

6) Therefore, either God is not all powerful, or God is not perfectly good.

7) Therefore, God does not exist.

Objection to Argument from Evil

1) It is possible that God created people to love and be loved.

2) One cannot truly love without freely choosing to love.

3) One cannot freely choose to love without free will.

4) Therefore, God had to create people with free will.

5) Once people have free will, it is possible that they will choose to do evil.

6) People have chosen to do evil.

7) Therefore, it is possible for a perfectly good and all powerful God to exist in a world with evil.