Heusser Philosophy 100 SG #13b

Proofs for the Existence of God

I. St. Anselm: The Ontological Argument (Deductive with a priori premises)

1) God is the being than which none greater can be conceived.

2) God exists in the understanding.

3) God might have existed in reality (it is possible that God exists)

4) If something exists only in the understanding and might have existed in reality, then s/he might have been greater than s/he is.

5) Suppose God exists only in the understanding.

6) God might have been greater than he is (3, 4, 5 since God might have existed in reality).

7) The being than which none greater can be conceived is a being than which a greater can be conceived (1, 6).

8) It is false that God exists only in the understanding.

9) God exists in reality as well as in the understanding (2, 8).

II. St. Thomas Aquinas: Cosmological Arguments

(deductive with a posteriori premises)

The “5 Ways” are from Summa Theologica. Each “way” has experiential fact mentioned followed by explanation through God since all other explanations lead to absurdities or contradictions. (focus on 1^st and 4^th)

1^st Way

i) Something is in motion.

ii) If 1, it is moved by another mover.

iii) If there is another mover, then there is a 1^st mover (God, otherwise infinite regress)

2^nd Way

i. Something is changing. (i.e., there are efficient causes and effects)

ii. If 1, then there is at least one efficient cause of that change.

iii. If there is one efficient cause, then there is a first cause (God).

3^rd Way

i) Some contingents exist. (i.e., there is possibility and necessity)

ii) An existent series of causes on which contingent things depend also exists.

iii) Either this entire series of causes is contingent or it is necessary.

iv) The series is not necessary.

v) If there is a contingent series, then there must be a necessary being (God)

III. Aquinas: Teleological Arguments

(Inductive with a posteriori premise)

4^th Way

a. There are degrees found in all things. (i.e., Gradation is found in things)

b. If there are degrees found in all things, then there must be a highest degree for those things.

c. There is a highest degree for all things.

5^th Way

i) Anything that significantly resembles the products of intelligence may be inferred to be a product of purposive intelligence.

i) There is an order of nature. (i.e., there is Governance or design in the world).

ii) The order of nature significantly resembles the products of intelligence.

iii) Thus, the order of nature is a product of purposive intelligence.

IV. Paley: The Teleological Argument (Inductive from Analogy)

“A watch is such a complicated mechanism that it could not have come about by chance. It had to have been created by an inventive and creative watchmaker. Thus, an inventive and creative universe maker must have also created the universe. For the universe is also a complicated mechanism.” This is often called the “Argument from Design.”

In Hume: Cleanthes presents the Argument from Design roughly as follows:

1) The Universe exhibits design: a) its parts are adapted to each other (e.g., legs work together) and b) means are adapted to ends (e.g., legs are made for walking).

2) These two properties make the universe resemble a humanly designed machine.

3) Like effects probably have like causes.

4) Therefore, the cause of the universe is like the cause of a humanly designed machine, namely, the cause of the universe is a designer, with the attributes that enable humans to design machines: thought, wisdom, intelligence.

Corollary: Moreover, those qualities are present in the Designer of the universe in proportion to the grandeur of the universe.