This document discusses three philosophical arguments for the existence of God:
1) The cosmological argument argues that everything that exists has a cause, so there must be an uncaused first cause (God) to explain the existence of the universe.
2) The teleological or design argument points to evidence of design and order in nature as evidence for an intelligent designer (God).
3) The ontological argument claims that the very concept of an all-perfect being (God) implies that such a being must exist in reality, not just as an idea.
The document outlines each argument and notes that philosophers have proposed objections to each position.
2. Overview Several philosophers throughout history have tackled the question whether the existence of God is logically defensible. They have presented arguments that we are going to examine. We are going to look at these positions: The Cosmological Argument The Argument from Design The Ontological Argument
3. Kinds of Arguments A posteriori – proving the existence of God from evidence in the world A priori – proving the existence of God from thought and reason alone
4. The Cosmological Argument St. Thomas Aquinas First Mover Causation Degrees/Perfection Intelligent Design (textbook pg. 47–48)
5. Example: Causation Some things are caused by other things. Nothing can be the cause of itself it would have to exist before it causes itself – that would be a logical contradiction There cannot be an endless string of objects causing other objects to exist If there were no first cause at the beginning, the rest of the chain could not exist Therefore, there must be an uncaused first cause called God. Possible objections to this position?
6. The Argument from Design In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone, and were asked how the stone came to be there; I might possibly answer, that, for anything I knew to the contrary, it had lain there forever: nor would it perhaps be very easy to show the absurdity of this answer. But suppose I had found a watch upon the ground, and it should be inquired how the watch happened to be in that place; I should hardly think of the answer I had before given, that for anything I knew, the watch might have always been there. (...) There must have existed, at some time, and at some place or other, an artificer or artificers, who formed [the watch] for the purpose which we find it actually to answer; who comprehended its construction, and designed its use. (...) Every indication of contrivance, every manifestation of design, which existed in the watch, exists in the works of nature; with the difference, on the side of nature, of being greater or more, and that in a degree which exceeds all computation. — William Paley, Natural Theology (1802)
7. The Argument from Design Paley’s Watchmaker Argument A posteriori Stone vs. Watch Analogy to the world Existence of God Possible objections to this position?
8. The Ontological Argument A priori From the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Imagine the greatest possible being that can be imagined (God). God exists as an idea in the mind. A being that exists as an idea in the mind and in reality is, other things being equal, greater than a being that exists only as an idea in the mind. Thus, if God exists only as an idea in the mind, then we can imagine something that is greater than God (that is, a greatest possible being that does exist). But we cannot imagine something that is greater than God (for it is a contradiction to suppose that we can imagine a being greater than the greatest possible being that can be imagined.) Therefore, God exists. Possible objections to this position? IF it existed, it would have to have these properties…
