Developments of the Ontological Argument
- Created by: ZoeRanger
- Created on: 04-12-18 13:04
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- Developments of the Ontological Argument
- Malcom's Ontological Argument
- 1)If God does not exist today then He never can/will - his existence must be impossible
- 2) If God does exist, he must exist necessarily
- 3) God's existence is therefore either impossible or necessary
- 4) God existence is not impossible. it is not logically contradictory to have the concept of a God who exists
- 5) Therefore given that his existence is not impossible he must be necessary - so God exists necessarily
- 4) God existence is not impossible. it is not logically contradictory to have the concept of a God who exists
- 3) God's existence is therefore either impossible or necessary
- 2) If God does exist, he must exist necessarily
- Believed that existence is not a predicate - Descartes' argument is logically flawed
- Believed that Anselm's second form of the argument could still be used to provide a successful ontological argument
- Argued that in order to be God, God muct have necessary existence; he could not come into existence if he did not exist already and he could not stop existing if he already exists. If God exists at all, then he exists in an eternal, necessary way
- Illogical to say that's sometimes God exists and sometimes he doesn't
- Argued that in order to be God, God muct have necessary existence; he could not come into existence if he did not exist already and he could not stop existing if he already exists. If God exists at all, then he exists in an eternal, necessary way
- Believed that Anselm's second form of the argument could still be used to provide a successful ontological argument
- Acknowledged that his argument would not convince, but believed it was nevertheless worth while because the believer would understand the necessity of God's existence, and therefore it would make perfect sense to a theist.
- However, this seems to reduce the ontological argument to the point where it is saying that God is true for those who believe in God - not really a great proof for the existence of God
- His argument was never widely accepted because it can be said that there can be things that don't exist without their existence being impossible.
- However, this seems to reduce the ontological argument to the point where it is saying that God is true for those who believe in God - not really a great proof for the existence of God
- 1)If God does not exist today then He never can/will - his existence must be impossible
- Descartes' Ontological Argument
- Something cant be labelled 'perfect' if it doesn't exist because this is perfection, therefore God must possess existence
- Believed people were born innate idea; there are some concepts which are imprinted on our minds from birst and which are universally shared by all humanity
- Though that we understand concepts like shape and number form birth; and born with an understanding of what God is
- Understanding God to be a supremely perfect being, possessing all perfections
- Though that we understand concepts like shape and number form birth; and born with an understanding of what God is
- Analogies
- Mountains and valleys
- The valley is part of the essence of a mountain - you cannot separate the two
- The idea of the triangle
- 3 angles which add to 180 degrees - by definition, would you argue if different?
- Yes
- 3 angles which add to 180 degrees - by definition, would you argue if different?
- Mountains and valleys
- Influenced by many Greek philosophers
- To change was to be imperfect: perfection only came through being immutable
- For God to be perfect, He cannot change because this leads to imperfection
- Plato and Anslef
- To change was to be imperfect: perfection only came through being immutable
- 1) We understand God to be a supremely perfect being
- 2) A supremely perfect being must contain all perfections
- 3) Existence is perfection
- 4) Therefore, God must possess existence
- 5) Therefore, God exists necessarily
- 4) Therefore, God must possess existence
- 3) Existence is perfection
- 2) A supremely perfect being must contain all perfections
- God is perfect he must be unchanging
- If he is unchanging then he must always have exist and will always continue to exist for eternity
- Malcom's Ontological Argument
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