Chapter 4: Philosophy & God

religious belief

refers to doctrines held about a supernatural dimension

religious experience

refers to experience of this supernatural dimension.

theology

the study of religious beliefs, assumes that God exists and the beliefs are true

philosophy of religion

studies religious beliefs but does not assume that they are true or that God exists

ontological

argument that says because the mind can not exist something greater than god, then god exists

cosmological

argument that even if the universe existed forever, the existence of the entire everlasting chain of motions and causes still needs to be explained, and God is the only explanation.

design

argument that says: If we find an artifact, like a watch, that is designed to achieve a purpose, we can conclude it was made by an intelligent being. So, by analogy, we can conclude they were made by an intelligent being, and this is God.

atheism

belief that claims there is no God

agnosticism

no commitment to any belief or lack thereof

radical theology

Religious belief is not open to objective thinking, and it is useless to try to prove God’s existence. This causes “anguish.”

feminist theology

holds that the traditional concept of God is male, sexist, oppressive to women, and legitimates patriarchy—the rule of men over women.

hinduism

views Brahman as the only reality and all else is illusion; atman is the Hindu doctrine of no self.

buddhism

has an eightfold path and four noble truths

Zen Buddhism

emphasizes the avoidance of words and concepts, the understanding of Mind and its oneness with nature, and attaining enlightenment through this understanding.

eastern thought

reject the Western concept of an all-powerful, all-knowing personal God and of the moral law as something God commands.

Smart’s Six Dimensions

What are these?

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* (1) doctrine
* (2) experience
* (3) myth
* (4) ritual
* (5) morality
* (6) organization.

Anselm

Whose argument structure is this?

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* (1) God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived
* (2) than which nothing greater can be conceived must exist in reality and not merely in the mind
* (3) so God exists in reality

Aquinas

Whose proof is this?

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* (1) Some things move.
* (2) What moves must be moved by another moving thing, which must be moved by another moving thing, and so on.
* (3) This series of moving movers cannot be infinite, for then their motion would have no origin.
* (4) The origin of their motion cannot be moving, for then it would have to be moved by another.
* (5) This unmoving origin of motion is God.

Aquinas

Whose proof is this? Hint: second proof by the same person

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* (1) Some things are caused to exist by other things.
* (2) What is caused to exist must be caused by another thing, for nothing can cause itself to exist.
* (3) The series of causes cannot extend back infinitely, for then there would be no beginning to the existence of the series of causes, so no causes would exist at all.
* (4) So, there is a first cause of existence, and this is God.

Paley

Whose argument is this?

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* (1) If we find an artifact, like a watch, that is designed to achieve a purpose, we can conclude it was made by an intelligent being.
* (2) But things we find in nature, especially living things and their parts, are designed to achieve a purpose.

(3) So, by analogy, we can conclude they were made by an intelligent being, and this is God.

Seven emphases of Indian thought

What are these?

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* the spiritual
* the interrelation of philosophy and life
* the inner life
* the nonmaterial oneness of creation
* awareness as the path to reality
* respect for tradition
* tolerance of all sincere beliefs.

the four noble truths

What are these?

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* All life is sorrow
* sorrow arises from craving
* stopping craving will stop sorrow
* and the Noble Eightfold Path will stop craving

the noble eightfold path

What is this?

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* right views
* right resolve
* right speech
* right conduct
* right livelihood
* right effort
* right mindfulness
* right concentration