Philosophy 1000 - Exam 1 - Mizzou

Anselm of Canterbury: Ontological Argument 1

God is a perfect being. Since he is perfect, he cannot simply exist in the mind alone, meaning that he must also exist in reality.

Anselm of Canterbury: Ontological Argument 2

There are things that can be thought to exist and things that can be thought not to exist. But God cannot be thought not to exist, because there would have to be room for perfection and God is already perfect.

Aquinas' Five Ways: #1

Things are put in motion by something else. This cannot stretch to infinity, so there must be something that put itself into motion. This MUST be God.

Aquinas' Five Ways: #2

There has to be a first cause for the intermediate cause, because there would be no effect. The intermediate cause is the cause of the ultimate cause. The first cause has to be God.

Aquinas' Five Ways: #3

If everything is possible not to be there must have been a time when nothing existed. This is not true because things do exist and had to be to existence by something that already existed. this this is called God. he exists of his own necessity.

Aquinas' Five Ways: #4

Everything is scaler. Goodness and Virtues are scalers. That must mean that maximum goodness exists. The maximum perfect must be God.

Aquinas' Five Ways: #5

Some natural beings without intelligence work towards an end. Working towards an end requires intelligence. Intelligence does not supply itself so it must be supplied by something else, God.

William Paley

Watch analogy. A watch is to complex not to have an intelligent designer. but the designer didn't create itself, this must mean there is an ultimate creator. The ultimate creator must be God.

Roger White: Cosmological fine tuning

Focuses on explanation. The fact that our universe is hospitable needs explanation. God is a good explanation for why the universe is life-permitting. This is a good explanation for Theism.

Louise Anthony

There is no moral being who would allow suffering to go on if they could prevent it.

Revised: no good being would allow suffering without good reason.

but since there is suffering there is NO morally good being. There is no God.

Argument for Atheism!!

Blaise Pascal: Pascal's Wager

We might never know whether or not God exists, but there might be a good reason to believe. Due to infinite/finite consequences.

You are right and you believe
Eternal joy (infinite)

Your right and Atheism
Nothing (Finite)

Your wrong and believe
Nothing (Finite)

Your wrong and atheism
Eternal suffering (Finite)

Within Anselm's ontological argument, "God is something than which nothing greater can be thought" functions as a - definition, premise, or both.

both

According to Anselm, God is something than which nothing greater can be thought.

true

According to Anselm, when someone understands something, that something at least exists in her - understanding, reality, both

Understanding

Anselm distinguishes between "things that can be thought not to exist" and "things that cannot be thought not to exist."

True

Which of the following is greater, according to Anselm?

Something that exists in both the mind and in reality.

How many ways of proving the existence of God does Aquinas provide?

5

Aquinas says that God is a thing that puts itself into motion.

true

To take away the cause is to take away the ________

effect

If all things were merely possible, then, according to Aquinas, --

There would be nothing in existence

Some things without intelligence can nonetheless act for an end.

true

Anselm of Canterbury: How many ontological arguments are there?

2

Paley's argument would be invalidated if watches were capable of reproducing themselves

false

It is better to view Paley's argument as a

inference to the best explanation

Manifestation of ___ exists in the work nature.

design

If a watch does not work, it means it was not created by someone.

false

Atheism is absurd, according to Paley.

true

The Argument from Cosmological Fine-tuning can be made in one way only.

false

Roger White's presentation of the fine-tuning argument focuses on-

explanation

An outcome of a fair lottery stands in need of explanation.

fair

The fine-tuning argument assumes the truth of certain scientific propositions.

true

Which of the following is the most modern argument for the existence of God?

Fine tuning argument

If P then Q, P therefore Q

Modus ponens

If P, then Q. Not - Q, Therefore, Not -P

Modus Tollens

Psychological egoism

Thesis that all human actions are motivated by selfish interests

Utilitarianism

An act is right if & only if it maximizes the general happiness

It is a type of consequentialism

____________ consumes coal but that is not the objective of the trip. Burning coal happens every time, but that is not why the boat drives.

Oceanliner example (Feinberg)

The apartment example (Hume)

Signs of your friends pleasure gives you pleasure

Shopkeeper example (Kant)

1. Acting in conformity of duty - doing what the moral law requires

2. Acting for the sake of duty - doing things out of respect for the moral law

Glaucon on psychological egoism

Says that we are only just bc people see our actions.