Metaphysics UNIT 4

Abrahamic God

Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipotent

Omniscient

All-knowing

Omnipotent

All-powerful

Omnibenevolent

All-loving

Ontological Argument

God must exist because the concept of a non-existent god is self-contradictory

Deductive, Anselm

Anselm's Argument

1. God is a being so perfect that a more perfect version can't be imagined

2. God exists as an idea in the mind

3. A being that exists in the mind AND reality is better than one only in the mind

4. We can't imagine something greater than God

C. God exists

Flaws of Ontological Argument

- Begs the Question: Underlying premise

It is possible for a perfect being to exist

and a perfect being is just God

- Jumps from Epistemic truths to Metaphysical truths

Cosmological Argument

The universe requires God as an original Cause to prevent infinite regression

(Cosmo- universe), Deductive, Aquinas

Aquinas's Cosmological Argument

1. Everything that exists has a cause

2. The Universe exists

C1. The Universe has a Cause

3. If the Universe has a cause, then a powerful being that exists out of causation must have caused it

C2. A powerful being that exists outside of causation caused the universe

Cosmological Argument Flaws

- Argument from Ignorance - just because we can't explain the universe doesn't mean it was caused by a being

- This being isn't neccassarily Abrahamic God

- We don't know if all things need causes

Teleological Argument

Intelligent design

The high degree of logic and order in the universe suggests an intelligent creator

(teleo- perfect), Inductive, Paley

Paley's Watchmaker Analogy

We'd assume a watch in a desert had an intelligent designer because of the high degree or intelligence and order in it's design. The same applies to the universe with God.

Natural Evil

Evil originating from the natural world (e.g. disaster and disease)

Moral Evil

Evil caused by human action (e.g. murder, war)

Logical Problem of Evil

Claims existence of God is incompatible with the existence of evil

Deductive

Evidential Problem of Evil

Claims that the existence of evil makes it unlikely that God exists

Inductive

Epicurus's Argument

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

Mackie's Argument

Omnipotence = power to prevent evil

Omnibenevolence = motivation to prevent evil

Something cannot exist if there is a being with the power and motivation to eliminate it

Evil exists

God cannot exist

Inconsistent Triad

Omnipotence, omnibenevolence, and evil cannot coexist.

Hume's argument

Inductive

We can only justify believing what evidence suggests. Evidence shows imperfection exists (i.e. evil) so we are justified in believing in imperfection, and not a perfect being.

Theodicy

Arguments against the problem of evil

Augustine's Theodicy

Evil is a result of original sin stemming from the Fall. Evil is either sin or punishment for sin.

Weak, begs the question.

Plantinga's Free Will Theodicy

Evil is a result of the misuse of free will. Life would be meaningless without free will. Therefore it's omnibenevolent and omnipotent of God to allow evil.

Strong for moral evil, not natural evil

John Hick's Soul-Making Theodicy

We do not know of God's existence, so the choice to be good and worship God is more effective in spiritual development

Ireneus's Theodicy

Human being's were made in Gods IMAGE, not LIKENESS. We are born with potential for good, but must choose to do good to complete creation and reach perfection

Traditional Epistemic Argument for God

Argues God exists (e.g. cosmological, teleological, ontological, religious experience)

Pragmatic Arguments of God

Believing in God is beneficial to us (e.g. Pascal's Wager)

Pascal's Wager

The benefits of believing in God are so great that it's worth doing even if there is a minute chance he's real

Flaws: There are many Gods, worship requires commitment

William James

Believing in something without evidence is justifiable if it's a live, forced, and momentous option. This applies to God

Live Option

All the hypotheses you're choosing are live (possible)

Dead Option

All the hypotheses you're choosing are dead(impossible)

Forced Option

The hypotheses exhaust all possible options; the choice is unavoidable

Avoidable Option

The hypotheses do not exhaust all available options; the choice is avoidable

Momentous Option

The choice is unique, has significant stakes, or is irreversible

Trivial Option

The choice is not unique, has low stakes, and is reversible/of little consequence

W.K. Clifford on Epistemic Responsibility

We have a responsibility to believe in claims with evidence. If you don't have evidence, you are morally obligated to refrain from the belief (withhold judgment)

W.K. Clifford's Boat Example

An owner of a boat would be responsible for its capsizing if he didn't have evidence for its stability beforehand and chose to believe it was safe.

Faith

Based on inspiration, revelation, or authority

Rationality

Based on reason and facts

Conflict Model

The aims, objects, or methods of reason and faith seem to be very much the same

Thus, when they seem to be saying different things, there is a genuine rivalry

Incompatibilist Model

The aims, objects, or methods of reason and faith are understood as distinct

Compartmentalisation is possible

Reason aims at empirical truths

Religion aims at divine truths

Thus, there is no true rivalry

Divisions of the Incompatibilist Model

Faith is transrational or higher than reason

Faith is irrational

Religious language is purely metaphorical

Weak Compatibility Model

Commonality is possible between faith and reason, though both maintain distinct realms of evaluation and cogency

Strong Compatibility Model

Faith and Reason have an organic connection, maybe even equivalency

Eudaimonia

"flourishing" - Aristotle

Living a well-lived life, done through living virtuously

Epicureanism

Happiness is pleasure, all things are dont for pleasant feelings. Happiness comes with close friends and community.

Epicurus on Death

there is no need to fear death, because it is only the end of sensation and consciousness, which must be painless (just like before birth)

Aquinas on Meaning

Beatitudo is impossible on Earth, but Felicitas is possible.

Believes Reason can justify Faith (Cosmological Argument)

Beatitudio

Perfect Happiness

Felicitas

Imperfect Happiness

Existentialism

Existence precedes Essence

Life is fundamentally meaningless, but we can give it meaning ourselves

Theistic Existentialism

Existentialism, God exists (Kierkegaard)

Atheistic Existentialism

Existentialism, No God (Nietzsche, Sartre, De Beauvoir

Soren Kierkegaard

God didn't provide us with meaning prior to existence, but we must create a meaningful relationship with God, using our own free will to make the leap of faith

Leap of Faith

Kierkegaard

To believe in God, even if it is absurd and beyond all reason

Nietzsche

Life has no meaning. One must overcome the limitations of society and become a master of one's own fate.

Ubermensche

"Superman" - one who moves beyond social norms give their own life meaning

Jean Paul Sartre

We must use our radical freedom to live authentically, even if this decision comes from angst

Radical Freedom

We have absolute freedom to choose our own path and actions

Bad Faith

When individuals live inauthentically by yielding to the external pressures of society, adopting false values to escape their own radical freedom

Absurdity

The universe is irrational and meaningless

Simone de Beauvoir

Women (and, by extension, other marginalised groups) have their radical freedom limited by the second-class status imposed upon them by society