Problem of God Midterm

Teleological Argument

The argument for the existence of God from the evidence of order, and hence design, in nature. Uses a posteriori reasoning

Ontological Argument

A deductive philosophical argument that tries to prove God exists using pure reason alone (a priori), without relying on any observation of the physical world.

Cosmological Argument

A philosophical idea that uses the existence of the universe to prove that God exists

a posteriori

An argument based on empirically based observations

a priori

An argument based on non empirical reasoning

Predicate

An attribute, property, condition, or relation that is ascribed, stated, or "said of" a subject in a proposition

Deductive Validity

an argument is deductively valid when its premises entail its conclusion.

Principle of sufficient reason (PSR)

for everything that exists there must be a sufficient reason for its existence

Necessary being

A being that must exist and cannot not exist.

Contingent being

A being whose existence depends on something outside itself such as another being

Impossible things

Things with contradictory definitions such that they cannot exist. Ex: a square circle

Aquinas' first way

The argument from potentiality and actuality (or motion). ie. things in the world undergo change but they don't change themselves. CA

Aquinas' second way

Argument from Efficient Causation; In the world we sense, we find that efficient causes is series. Nothing is the cause of itself (it would have to be prior to itself to cause self). Causal chains cannot extend backward indefinitely. The causal series is circular, infinite, or has a first cause. Aquinas saying the circular and infinite is ruled out. So: There must be a (unique) 1st cause. CA also Aristotle's theory of causes

Aquinas' third way

The argument from possibility and necessity. There can't be an infinite regress of contingent beings. CA

Aquinas' fourth way

The Argument from degrees-things have degrees of perfection, so therefore thus must be a perfect thing: God.

Aquinas' fifth way

The argument from the governance of the world. TA

Main point of Plato's Euthyphro

Is something good because the gods love it, or do the gods love it because it is good?

Heteronomy

Is the state of being ruled, governed, or influenced by an outside force. It is the exact opposite of autonomy.

Polythesim

Belief in many gods

Henothesim

Belief that one god is better/greater than the others

Monothesim

Belief in only one god

Who wrote God and Moral Autonomy

James Rachels

How does the argument in God and Moral Autonomy go?

1. If any being is god they must be a fitting object of worship

2. No being could possibly be a fitting object of worship, since worship requires the abandonment of moral agency.

3. Therefore, there cannot by any being who is god

What example does Rachels use in God and Moral Autonomy to create philsophical analogy

The fictional character of McBlank who has a moral commitment to pacifism

Assertoric view

A statement that is either true or false

Expressivist view

Expressing their commitment to their way of life, not necessarily religious devotion

James Rachels defines worship in God and Moral Autonomy as

an attitude and practice requiring total, unqualified, and unconditional submission to a superior being's commands

Essential point of James Rachels argument in God and Moral autonomy

the existence of God is logically incompatible with human moral autonomy because true worship requires unconditional obedience

Valid argument

if the premises are true the conclusion is true

Deductive argument

a logical piece of reasoning where true premises completely guarantee the truth of the conclusion

Natural theology

arguments for the existence on God often derived from the natural world

What does Paley propose as the three possible explanations of design

1. Chance

2. Natural law/process/mechanism

3. Intelligent design

What is Paley's argument from design

1. If something exhibits design, it must have an intelligent designer
2. Living organisms exhibit design, therefore,
3. The design exhibited in living organisms must have an intelligent designer

Key idea of William Paley's teleological Argument

Design requires an intelligent designer

What metaphor does William Paley use to show design

A pocket watch found out in nature

What is the simplest refutation of Paley's teleological argument?

Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection

The fine tuning argument

a version of the teleological argument that states that fine tuning (or narrow conditions in which life exists) is due to intelligent design

Explanatory filter argument

A method that tries to eliminate other explanations in a systematic manner.

The fine tuning of the universe could be due to

1. Physical necessity

2. chance

3. design

What does it mean when an argument "begs the question"

It fallaciously assumes the truth of the conclusion in the premises of the argument.

What do some people use to refute the fine tuning argument

The multiverse hypothesis

What is the structure of Anselm's Prosolgion

structured as a sort of imagined conversation/prayer to/with god. Also kind of like a math proof

How does Anselm define God

That than which nothing greater can be conceived

How does Anselm's ontological argument go?

1. God is TTWNGCBC

2. God exists in the mind (you have to have some conception of god to understand the argument)

3. It is greater to exist in reality and the mind than the mind alone

4. If god only existed in the mind we could conceive of something greater

5. God is TTWNGCBC

6. God must exist in reality and the mind

Anselms OA brings up the idea that

God is a necessary and self-existent being. (God must exist and has always existed)

Rowe's main refutation of Anselm's proslogion

The argument begs the question, anselm already assumes god exists and expects that you do as well

Possible things

things we can observe in reality

Rowe uses the magican vs magico in refutation of anselm’s proslogion to show that

it doesn't necessarily follow that there must be magicians just because no none existent thing can be a magican. This same idea applies to God

Aristotle's theory of causes

1. Formal- idea of David

2. Material- form becomes matter

3. Efficient- made to exist by something else

4. Final- the purpose for a things existence

Objections to Aquinas's 5 ways include:

1. Fideism- faith in god has no reasonable basis

2. Apophatic objection- we can't say anything about god, we can only say what he is not.

3. Skeptical objection- it is a good idea but it has been taken too far, we can only understand things in a limited and imperfect way

One slight issue that may be found with Aquinas's 5 ways is that he

commits the quantifier shift fallacy with his utilization of "at one time"

Quantifier shift fallacy

a logical error that happens when the order of two quantifiers is illegally reversed between the premises and the conclusion of an argument. ex: For every X, there is a related Y" does not logically imply "There is a single Y that is related to every X

The basic question at issue in Taylor's defense of the cosmological argument is

why is there something rather than nothing?

What metaphor does Taylor use?

a smooth ball in the forest

The modern cosmological argument goes as follows:

1. Every being that exists is either a contingent being or a necessary being

2. Not every being can be a contingent being

3. There must exist a necessary being (and that being may be god)

What must you accept to accept the modern cosmological argument?

The principle of sufficient reason

Who first developed the contingency argument?

Clarke and Leibniz in the 18th century

The fallacy of composition

Assuming a whole has the same qualities as its parts

How does Rowe refute the modern cosmological argument

He thinks it is reasonable to doubt PSR and if you do that you can't accept the modern CA

Why won’t philosophers such as Aquinas accept that all beings are contingent?

This idea causes infinite regress and doesn’t actually explain why anything exists at all.

Divine omnipostence

the theological and philosophical concept that God is all-powerful

What is Mavrades’s view of the puzzle

That god can do anything as long as it isn’t a contradiction

What is the puzzle that both Mavrdes and Frankfurt write about

Can god create a stone that god can’t lift?

What did Descartes say of Mavrades and Anselm’s view of divine omnipotence

He thought it was blasphemous to limit god’s power in any way

What does Frankfurt think of the puzzle?

The puzzle doesn’t really matter, if god is omnipotent than god can do whatever god wants event if it defies our understanding of reason.

How does Mavrdes answer the skeptic?

He says that it becomes a quote “pseudo-task” but if you truly insist maybe some of god’s powers are of a greater infinity than others but even granting this grants god’s omnipotence

Do either Mavrades or Frankfurt seek to prove god’s existance?

No

What does Aquinas’ think about reason and reality?

He thinks that they fit together like a glove and a hand due to his views on god’s ability of creation

What three arguments does Rowe believe fail to refute the cosmological argument?

1. The argument commits the fallacy of composition

2. We don’t know that everything is contingent because we haven’t experienced it (a variation on 1)

3. Hume’s objection, if you know the reason for all parts of a group there is not a need for a special reason for the existence of the whole

Why does Rowe think the three proposed refutation of the cosmological argument fail?

1 and 2 draw a faulty inference from one way to arrive at the conclusion. Logical people do not follow this way to the conclusion. 3 will not satisfy a proponent of the CA because it does not provide an answer in the way that PSR demands

What does Taylor think about the universe when defending the cosmological argument?

He thinks the universe is rationally intelligible

Why can not accepting PSR be an issue?

Science kind of breaks down if some things just exist or are brute facts

What does reductio mean in philosophy?

proof by self contradiction

What does the title of Anselm’s ontological argument mean?

faith seeking understanding

Why is Craig not inclined to believe in chance as the reason for the apparent fine tuning of the universe?

The margins for error are so small that it would be like winning the lottery 10 times in a row; possible but not probable

What were socrates’ key questions?

1. What is the essence of the holy (or the good)?

2. Is something good because it is loved by the gods, or do the gods love something because it is good?

If something is good because it is loved by the gods then….

1. The problem of moral arbitrariness arises

2. the tatuology problem arises (true by definition and is completely uninformative)

If the gods love something because it is good that seems to suggest

An independant moral standard that is not up to god. Raises the question of the necessity of god and can seem to diminish gods power

What kind of obligations were known to the Greeks?

civic obligations

What is Socrates’ implicit argument against Euthyphro?

He wonders whether Euthyphro is absolutely certain that he is morally justified in his actions.

What is the set up for Plato’s Euthyphro?

Socrates is waiting at the courthouse because he has been formally indicted for impiety and corrupting the youth of Athens. Euthyphro, a self-proclaimed religious expert/priest, is also at the court to prosecute his own father for murder. His father had bound a farmhand in a ditch and left him to die while waiting for instructions from a religious authority about what to do with the worker, who had himself killed a servant. Socrates is stunned that Euthyphro is confident enough in his knowledge of piety (holiness) to prosecute his own father. Socrates asks Euthyphro to teach him what piety is so that Socrates can use that knowledge to defend himself against his own impiety charges.

What does Euthyphro try as definitions of piety?

1. Piety is prosecuting wrongdoers

2. Piety is what is dear to the gods

3. Piety is what all the gods love

4. Piety is that part of justice concerned with caring for the gods

5. Piety is the knowledge of how to sacrifice and pray