Author Topic: Philosophical Argument for the Existence of God (Read 1324 times)

InfiniteFaith · « **on:** February 06, 2013, 02:01:26 PM »

1) God is the greatest conceivable Being/Thing.
2) In order for God to be the greatest conceivable Being/Thing He must exist not only as a concept but also in reality. Otherwise, something greater can be thought of (a being/thing that exists in concept and reality).
3) Nothing Greater can be thought of than God (A being/thing that is all knowing, all powerful, and present in all places).

Conclusion: God exists in reality

Capt McQuigg · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2013, 02:40:22 PM »

Don't forget a very important piece of advice.

It was written by an earlier great theologian who is a saint.

Quoted by Pope Pius IX.

"You can't know God without God."

You can surmise using reason and philosophy and empiricism but knowledge of God is a gift of grace.

Renzo · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2013, 04:10:01 PM »

Quote from: InfiniteFaith

1) God is the greatest conceivable Being/Thing.
2) In order for God to be the greatest conceivable Being/Thing He must exist not only as a concept but also in reality. Otherwise, something greater can be thought of (a being/thing that exists in concept and reality).
3) Nothing Greater can be thought of than God (A being/thing that is all knowing, all powerful, and present in all places).

Conclusion: God exists in reality

I think your argument asserts that a reasonable belief in God must be integrated with the material world and reason or else it is just imagination. I think roman catholicism accomplished that goal, but then the reformation tried to undo that (most clearly illustrated in the catholic belief in transubstantiation and the protestant denial of it). And, if i understand it correctly, out of that came things like the enlightenment idea of man as a machine or german idealism versus german materialism. Also, jews are supposed to have gone through something of their own, in the 17th century, when their "messiah" converted to islam rather than face execution and so their culture split, into one side taking reason and the other taking faith and the two having little to do with each other.

I would restate your conclusion as: God exists in reality or does not exist.

Nishant · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2013, 04:22:16 PM »

Ah, yes. St.Anselm's now famous ontological argument. It has its defenders (although typically reformulated more formally using modal logic) even today, but after St.Thomas, many Catholic philosophers did not employ it.

InfiniteFaith · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2013, 06:36:05 PM »

Quote from: Nishant

Ah, yes. St.Anselm's now famous ontological argument. It has its defenders (although typically reformulated more formally using modal logic) even today, but after St.Thomas, many Catholic philosophers did not employ it.

Yeah I think its a variation of Anselm's argument. I found it just roaming around on the internet one day. I think this was reformulated by a student at a university somewhere. I can't see any flaw in it.