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THEISTIC HYPOTHESIS. GOD’S EXISTENCE AS THE BEST EXPLANATION OF THE WORLD. GOD IS THE BEING SO GREAT THAT WE CANNOT CONCEIVE OF ANY GREATER BEING. ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT. GOD’ S EXISTENCE FOLLOWS NECESSARILY FROM OUR CONCEPTION OF HIM. (ONTOLOGICAL) EXISTENCE = REALITY = PERFECTION.
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THEISTIC HYPOTHESIS GOD’S EXISTENCE AS THE BEST EXPLANATION OF THE WORLD
GOD IS THE BEING SO GREAT THAT WE CANNOT CONCEIVE OF ANY GREATER BEING ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
GOD’ S EXISTENCE FOLLOWS NECESSARILY FROM OUR CONCEPTION OF HIM (ONTOLOGICAL) EXISTENCE = REALITY = PERFECTION
ISSUES: ST. THOMAS ACQUINAS • PROBLEM OF FAITH AND REASON • EXISTENCE OF GOD • PROBLEM OF EVIL
PROBLEM OF FAITH AND REASON • Faith = demonstrable? • Not demonstrable = it cannot be proven. • Therefore, God’s existence: • cannot be proven. 2. If God’s existence is to be proved it must be from what He causes • What He effects is not sufficient for His supposed nature • since He is infinite, but the effects finite, • the finite is not proportional to the infinite. 3. If God exist, then no evil will be found. • Therefore, God’s existence cannot be proven.
EXISTENCE OF GOD: 5 PROOFS M-E-P-D-O • MOTION • EFFICIENT CAUSE • NATURES OF THE POSSIBLE AND NECESSARY • DEGREES • ORDER
MOTION: • Things on earth undergo change • Changing: • transformation / MOVING • CHANGE: • from actuality to potentiality • Everything that is moved is moved by something • MOTION: • Mover • Moved • If anything moves in accordance with something, is that a product of imagination? • Knowledge/ mind: “EXISTING” 3. Can we be both the mover and the moved? • If yes: is change still possible? • Nanggagalaw at ginagalaw • E.g. pregnancy • Return to the first mover: • Unmoved mover (unchanging) NOTHING CAN BE BROUGHT FROM POTENTIALITY TO ACTUAL EXISTENCE EXCEPT THROUGH SOMETHING ACTUALY EXISTING
EFFICIENT CAUSE • Efficient cause: • The primary entity that has the capacity… • to impose “change” on the… • effect. (ACTION ITSELF) • Cause=effect • Can anything be the efficient cause of itself? • E.g. • Effect: bruise/black eye/ bleeding • Cause: fight • Effect: death • Cause: accident/old age/diseases • Cause should exist first before the effect 3. If the cause is removed… • the effect is removed. • To presuppose: • first efficient cause. • Uncaused cause
WHAT DOES NOT EXIST, DOES NOT TAKE ITS BEGINNING EXCEPT THROUGH SOMETHING THAT DOES EXIST
NATURES OF THE POSSIBLE AND NECESSARY • POSSIBLE: • Predictable • Quantifiable • Limited • Accidents • Did it owe its existence to itself? • NECESSARY: • Valuable/ important REQUIREMENT to realize the “POSSIBLE” • E.g. Realization for you to have a college degree: • Possibility to enter college • Necessity to complete your 4-year college requirements • ALL THINGS ARE ETERNAL?/ POSSIBLE? • Who supports who? • Presuppose: existence of infinite and necessary
CONTINGENT: CAPABLE OF COMING INTO AND GOING OUT OF EXISTENCE
DEGREES • Degrees: • 100*/ 37.5* • Leveling/ measuring the idea of perfection • Things that we experience appear to be diverse: • “assorted” • Idea of “matter” (individuation) • Varying perfection • Yet they move towards the “greatest” • Therefore, there exists something that is the cause of the existence of the “degrees” found in all things, in consequence the greatest of all beings!
Some things which lack reason, such as natural bodies, are operated in accordance with a plan (INTELLIGENT DESIGNER) They do not arrive at the result by CHANCE but because of a PURPOSE
ORDER: great architect • Some things which lack reason are operated in accordance with a plan. • E.g. nature, body, dogs bark • Did their realities come into existence by chance? • Things that don’t have reason are directedby something that is rational • E.g. arrow and archer/ spy cam • Therefore, there is something intelligent by which all natural things are arranged in accordance with a plan