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Class Overview

  • Date: Wednesday
  • Discussion Transition: Previous class focused on the question, "Does God exist?"
  • Anticipation of Quiz Number: Possibly Quiz 6 by the end of the class, to be confirmed.
  • Reading Assignment: Essay on the Ontological Argument
  • Distribution: Hard copy of reading packet containing essays on arguments for the existence of God.

Quiz Information

  • If not completed today, the quiz will take place on Monday.
  • Quiz Format: Open, similar to the previous Allan Gloria Decade quiz.

Class Material: Reading Packet

  • First Essay: Ontological Argument
  • Additional Materials: Study questions for the section on the existence of God have been distributed.

Defining God and Theistic Responses

Importance of Defining Terms

  • Discussion began with the importance of defining what "God" means in academic discussions.

Theism

Existence of God
  • Theism: The belief that God exists; categorized based on reasoning.
  • Theists assert existence of God utilizing rational thought.
  • Argument Types:
    1. Ontological Argument
    2. Cosmological Argument (by St. Thomas Aquinas)
    • Focus: Origin of the cosmos; raises questions about why there is something rather than nothing.
    1. Teleological Argument
    • Focus: Design of the cosmos; questions why the world exhibits order, intricacy, and purpose.
  • Key Idea: Religious questions deserve logical exploration to avoid nonsensical beliefs.
Theism Not Based on Reason
  • A second category of theists reject the logical approach.
  • Emphasis on faith, emotion, and practicality rather than evidence or logic.
  • Some will argue that using reason to understand God is inappropriate.

Kierkegaard's Perspective on Faith

  • Kierkegaard: Founder of existentialism; blends faith and emotion.
  • Critique of Rational Theism:
    • Believes one should not equate God with logic.
    • Quote: "Religious beliefs are absurd."
    • Faith offers hope beyond rationality.
  • Analogy: Different tools for different tasks; reason is ineffective for comprehending God.
  • Belief involves a “leap of faith”:
    • Risks belief without empirical ground, highlighting true courage.
Pragmatism
  • Pragmatism: An American philosophical movement emphasizing practical implications.
  • Key Thinkers: William James and John Dewey.
  • Emphasizes practical usefulness in addressing philosophical questions lacking empirical evidence.
    • Advocates making choices based on what works for individuals.
  • James’s Squirrel Example:
    • Story of friends debating squirrel races as a metaphor for pointless arguments about unanswerable questions.
    • Concludes that belief should be based on what brings happiness and fulfillment.

Atheism

  • Atheism: Position asserting God does not exist.
    • Defined as the denial of theism.
  • Key Figure: David Hume, a Scottish philosopher (1711-1776);
    • Noted for open atheism and critiques of morality.
  • Shift in Moral Beliefs:
    • Argued morality relies on personal tastes rather than intrinsic qualities.
  • Problem of Evil:
    • Discussion of how a perfect God could allow evil to exist.
    • Critical inquiry undermines the assertion of an all-knowing, all-good deity.

Agnosticism

  • Agnosticism: The position of not knowing if God exists.
    • Withholding judgment rather than denying existence.
    • Positioned separately from atheism, which asserts non-existence.