Answer to Question #278605 in Philosophy for Nahim

Question

A critical exposition of different proofs for the existence of God.

Please include the following:

Abstract

Contents of the idea of God

Different arguments in favour of the existence of God

Objections raised against those arguments

Critical evaluation

Reference

Answer 1

There is certainly no shortage of arguments that purport to establish God’s existence, but ‘Arguments for the existence of God’ focuses on three of the most influential arguments: the cosmological argument, the design argument, and the argument from religious experience. Before examining these arguments, it first considers the very enterprise of attempting to establish God’s existence. What should we expect from an argument for God’s existence? What would it take for such an argument to be successful? The attempt to justify claims about the nature and existence of God on the basis of commonly accepted truths is known as natural theology.

God is considered the creator of the Universe. God is considered as the representative of holiness, justice, power and knowledge. Monotheism is the perception of a single god. Polytheism is the belief in many gods. The dominant idea of God in western civilization, then, is the idea of a supremely good being, creator of but separate from and independent of the world, all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal, and self-existent.

The attempt to provide proofs or arguments for the existence of God is known as natural theology. This undertaking has traditionally consisted of three key arguments: The ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments. Such proofs may seem futile in the contemporary context.

One objection raised against the cosmological argument is that it leaves open the question of why the First Cause is unique in that it does not require any causes. Proponents argue that the First Cause is exempt from having a cause, while opponents argue that this is special pleading or otherwise untrue. Also since one of God’s essential features is “existence”, then it would be a contradiction to say that, “God exists, yet He lacks existence.” However, there is nothing contradictory in merely claiming that “neither God nor his essence, which is existence, exists.” Again, you are simply denying the existence of the object altogether, so no contradiction arises. (Blumenfeld, D. (1995). 10 Leibniz's ontological and cosmological arguments. The Cambridge Companion to Leibniz, 353.)

There are many theories and explanations on the concept of god. God is a word that has different meanings for different persons, for example, for an atheist god is just an idea or concept which is evolved over time. But for others, this is far greater than that. Many philosophers thought about the definition of god. St. Anselm is one of the great philosophers who clarified the definition of god and gave an argument about the existence of God.

Reference

Blumenfeld, D. (1995). 10 Leibniz's ontological and cosmological arguments. The Cambridge Companion to Leibniz, 353.