The Existence of God: Key Concepts and Arguments

This set of flashcards covers key concepts regarding the existence of God, various arguments for and against, and the problem of evil.

What are the three main positions on the existence of God?

The three positions are Theist (believes God exists), Atheist (believes God does not exist), and Agnostic (uncertain about God's existence).

What is the characteristic of a theist's argument when discussing God's existence?

The theist must specify what kind of God they are defending.

Define Aseity in the context of God's attributes.

Aseity means self-existence; God exists independently and eternally.

What is the fundamental claim of St. Anselm’s Ontological Argument?

God is 'a being than which nothing greater can be conceived,' and therefore must exist in both the mind and reality.

How does Descartes contribute to the Ontological Argument?

He argues that existence is a perfection and therefore concludes that God exists.

What was Kant's critique of the Ontological Argument?

Kant argued that existence is not a property or perfection, but a state of being.

What is William Paley’s Watchmaker Analogy?

The analogy states that just as a watch's complexity implies a designer, so does the complexity of the universe imply a designer—God.

List one criticism of the Teleological Argument.

One criticism is the weak analogy; the universe is not like a watch, raising doubts about the comparison.

Summarize the Logical Argument Against God’s Existence.

If God is omnibenevolent and omnipotent, he should prevent all evil; evil exists, thus God does not exist.

What is a Theodicy?

A Theodicy is an attempt to justify God's existence despite the presence of evil.

Name one defense presented for the existence of evil in relation to free will.

The Free Will Defense claims that allowing free will is better than a world without it, even if it leads to moral evil.

What is Thomistic Theodicy's explanation for the existence of evil?

Evil is just a lack of good, according to privation theory.

Why is a world without natural evil considered impossible?

It would require constant supernatural intervention, disrupting science and predictability.