PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS
WITH ALL YOUR MIND
PART ONE: MAPPING THE LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER TWO: COME LET US REASON (Part 1)
Page 38:
Although the classical arguments for God's existence have their limitations, why do people keep referring to them according to Woodfin?
Which 2 of the 4 arguments are deductive in nature and which 2 are inductive?
The First Classical Argument for God's Existence
Page 39
According to Walt Whitman what seed lies at the heart of life, of the earth?
Who first came up with this classical argument for God's existence?
He was archbishop of Canterbury during the 12th century,
In Anselm's quote what comes first, understanding of God or faith in God?
This makes sense if God is a PERSONal God.
Before considering the fool's claim that there is no god, let's first look at Anselm's argument for God's existence.
Page 40
Must a non-surpassable being exist? Is it possible for a non-surpassable NOT to exist?
Is it possible for you to think of a perfect being who does not exist?
If you were able to think or conceive of a perfect being who did not exist, what would be true of your thinking?
That is just not going to happen. Your think would be in the realm of absurdity
The Second Classical Argument for God's Existence
What is the name of the second classical argument for God's existence?
Who came up with this second classical argument for God's existence?
This theologian actually happens to be the father of modern Roman Catholicism. He wedded Aristotelian philosophy with the Bible to create Roman Catholicism.
Aquinas bases his argument for God's existence upon what? Upon whose philosophy?
According to Aquinas what is it impossible to conceive of?
His argument takes FIVE different forms:
P. 41
One thing that Aquinas denies is infinite cause and effect. He claims that this is impossible, that at one time something had to start it all. He sees infinite regression as being impossible. It's probably not impossible; however, it is highly unlikely.
The Third Classical Argument for the Existence of God
Bottom of p. 43
P. 44
Today many conservative Christians are trying to promote Intelligent Design in the universe.
Who came up with this third classical argument?
How does Paley use the watch found in a lonely field to illustrate this argument?
The Fourth Argument for God's Existence
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Kant is basically trying to find within man himself proof for God's existence.
P. 46:
According to Kant we still feel compelled to live the summum bonum. The problem is that we don't have enough time here on earth to achieve this. Therefore, what must happen to man after he dies if he is ever to achieve this highest good morally? In other words, what must be true about the soul? (The answer is in the small print.)
If this is true about the soul, what must be true about God? (see page 47 where Woodfin summarizes the moral argument for God's existence?)
Be careful with Martin Luther's link of reason and "the whore" and "the bride of the devil." Luther was actually railing against Roman Catholic theology. When it is all said and done, Roman Catholicism is not wrong because it is rational; it is wrong because it starts off at the wrong place. Even Luther himself used reason in developing his theology. You can't escape reason.
What is the name of the first classical argument for the existence of God?
By definition God is what?
Of the 5 forms which is the most dominant?
In the quotation Aquinas states that it is possible for some things to exist and yet also not to exist. A tree can exist, and yet it is not really necessary for that tree to exist. Yet it is not possible that that tree ALWAYS existed. If everything can not exist, then there was time when everything did NOT exist. The only problem with this is that if there was a time when nothing existed, then nothing would exist right now. THEREFORE, even when nothing else existed, it is necessary that at least one thing/person did exist which caused everything else ultimately to exist. That thing, that First Cause, is God.
What is the name of this third classical argument?
According to this view in the universe we are aware of a certain "purpose and beauty, giving rise to the conviction that there must be a supreme _______________."
What is the name of the fourth classical argument and who came up with it?
Kant will speak of summum bonum, that is, the highest good, that is, for all practical purposes living the best life, the perfect life morally. According to Kant do we have enough time here on earth to achieve the summum bonum?