Summary Religious Studies A/AS Level: Philosophy of Religion- Topic 3 pt2, The Existence of God
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Course
G571 - AS Philosophy of Religion (H173)
Institution
OCR
This is the second part to the 'Existence of God' topic of philosophy of religion. This provides you with the key details about the various ontological arguments (traditional and modern), including definitions and key scholarly insight.
Deductive: premises will lead to
a necessary conclusion- if the
ARGUMENTS BASED ON REASON (A PRIORI)
premises are true then the
ONTONLOGICAL ARGUMENT- Anselm (deductive)
conclusion will be true also
Defines God as being ‘a being which none greater can be conceived’
Inductive: conclusion is inferred
He had two premises…
from the premises, i.e. the most
1. We can universally conceive the greatest being (God)
likely conclusion
Existence in reality is greater than existence in the mind
Criticisms:
God exists in reality
this could be invalid as an island is contingent and God is
2. God is the greatest conceivable being
necessary
It is greater to be necessary than contingent
Gaunilo: lost island analogy- one can conceive the greatest
possible island, however, it does not necessarily have to exist
God is necessary and so must exist
Aquinas: it is not a contradiction to say that God does not
exist, and perhaps our notion of the greatest conceivable
being is not all the same
Philosophy | Topic 2, Sub-section 2
, ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT- Descartes (deductive)
We all possess innate qualities e.g. equality, cause, shape and God
God is a supremely perfect being
A supremely perfect being contains all supreme perfections
Existence (as well as the omnis) is a supreme perfection
God, a supremely perfect being, exists
Logically makes sense
Criticisms:
Hume: the only way to prove something a priori is for its opposite to be a
contradiction (e.g. a bachelor is a married man)- if something implies a
contradiction then it cannot exist; everything can be conceived to not exist
Gasking: the merit of an achievement is the product of a) its intrinsic quality
and b) the ability of its creator. The greater the disability of the creator, the
greater the achievement- it would be greater for the universe to be created by a
non-existent creator (bigger disadvantage) than an existent creator
Philosophy | Topic 2, Sub-section 2
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