Proofs for the Existence of God and their Critique (Indian and Western)



• Deductive
• Inductive
• Metaphysical , logical , empirical , subj


Empirical
• Argument from beauty
• Argument from consciousness
• Argument from design
• Rational warrant
• Inductive arguments


Summa Theologica, Thomas Aquinas's 5 ways
• Arg from motion - unmoved mover,
• Causal argument- first cause
• Argument from contingency - necessary being
• Argument from degree,
• Argument from final cause.
• 1st three are cosmological



Ontological
Ontos - essence

• Most imp , nerve of all arg
• On basis of idea of god , existence is declared
• A priori, deductive
• Complements other arg
• Idea precedes actuality , 1st ideas come in mind then existence (+ve att)
• Conclude necessary properties like omnipotence, omniscient to G

• St  Anslem - proslogian -1st
• G to be worshipful - greatest , highest
• Existence is highest predicate
• Thus G necessarily exit


• Hegel - Real is rational and Rational is real
• Thought of abs & reality of abs identical
• Descartes
1. Clear & distinct idea of all perfect being
2. God , being with all +ve perfection , G lacks nothing, a being that does not exit lacks something --> G exist 
• Spinoza
• Contradictory - god all perfect but don't exist
• Just as word Triangle = sum of all angles 180
• Leibnitz
• Yogasutra - law of continuity - highest limit of know & perfection ,
• Degree of excellence of know = omniscience
• Idea of omniscience = existence of omniscient G

• Kant
• God as necessary being - s - contradictory, linguistic transgression , either necessary or being
• Existence not real predicate -
• Existence being used as predicate i.e. - property, quality, attributes
• Existence comes prior to quality - its precondition for having characteristics, otherwise fallacy of infinite regression
• Hume
• All proposition asserting something exits are contingent
• Linguistic philosopher - Term necessity can meaningfully be used for only analytical statements
• Circular fallacy


Cosmological- Causal 

• A posteriori, Plato & aristotle
•  Two types-  Causal & Contingent

Causal arg
• G - uncaused cause, 1st cause , unmoved mover
• Non acceptance - fallacy of ~ regression
• NV - Karyat - world is effect must have efficient cause i.e God
• Aquina - causality in Aristotle sense
• Descarte - Causal + Onto - innate idea of perfect & ~ G, human , parents can’t create such idea
Arg from motion
• Worldly things undergoing change , motion
•  ult. Cause , 1st cause of change that is itself unchanging (unmoved mover) - G , otherwise add infinitum
• NV - Ayojnat

• motion by unmoved cause ?, Static G can't cause movement
• If we accept prime mover -- How he is G, it can be Prakriti <S-Y>
• Scientific Investigation - Big bang, energy
• Kant - category of causality - phenomenal obj only not transcendental
• Hume - necessary relation btn cause & effect can never exist
• Russel - infinite chains in mathematics, no problem in that so no logical necessity to assume go to avoid ~ regression 
• AJ Ayer- Inconsistent to talk abt cause of whole universe, can talk cause of human being but not humanity s whole (Fallacy of composition)


Cosmological- Contingent

• G essence is same as his existence

• Aquinas - all thing in nature contingent logically there must be necessary being as ground of contingent happening - ie G
• If all thing contingent - they must have passed till now --> Necessary being basis of all contingent things
• N-V Dhretyadeh -world maintained by god's will & will be destroyed by his will

• K- From contingent thing we can only infer contingent thing not necessary beings like G
• K- Contingent arg lies on ontological arg
• Buddhism - change is universal law no need of god
• LP - Statement concerning fact can only be contingent , arguing necessary based on contingent is s - contradictory , Only analytic can be necessary
•  AJ Ayer - fallacy of composition - from the facts that there are contingent obj - can’t infer world in totality is contingent 

Teleological

• Purpose , design , harmony & orderliness
• Extension of cosmological arg/proof
• Take empirical feature extensively like ozone layer etc
• Order & design contingent
• Deist supporter of argument

• Analogy of watch & its mechanism - William Palley
• By seeing mechanism of watch we conclude there is some maker & purpose
• NV - ayojnat

• Analogy of mechanic & machine (watch) but in mechanics no room for freedom
• Problem of evil
• Shows architect not creator - organized the world , but G - ~ , independent
• World creation - permutation & combination - Darwin natural selection
• Disguised form of cosmological arg


Moral






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