Philosophy Final

Front 1

Explain Pascal's Claim that we all have reason to believe God exists.

Back 1

Four Possibilities:
1. You Believe God Exists, If he exists you are rewarded with infinite happiness (+ infinity).
2. You Belive God DOESN'T exists, if he exists you are somewhat punished (-500)
3. If you do not believe in God, and he does exist you go to hell (-Infinity).
4.You don't believe in God, he doesn't exist you recieve some reward (+500)

Front 2

Definition of God

Back 2

X is God if and only if God is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, necessarily existent, [incorporeal], and the creator of the universe.
Omnipotent – can bring about any state of affairs that’s metaphysically possible, a state of affairs is metaphysically possible if it doesn’t entail a contradiction.
Omniscient – knows everything that’s true
Omnibenevolent – always preferring the better to the worse
Necessary existence – it exists as if it would have been impossible for it not to exist
Incorporeal – not a physical object
God has alleged perfections → a perfection is a property that comes in degrees and it’s intrinsically good to have

Front 3

Thomas Aquinas: First Cosmological Argument

Back 3

1. There are events happening in the natural world
2. Every event has a cause
3. Causes precede their effects
4. Therefore, 1, 2, and 3 (1, 2, 3 Conjunction)
5. If 1, 2, and 3, then there must be an uncaused first cause
6. If there is an uncaused first cause, then God must exist
7. Therefore God exists (4, 5, 6 MMP)

Front 4

Thomas Aquinas: Second Cosmological Argument

Back 4

1. There are events happening in the natural world
2. Every event has a cause
3. Causes precede their effects
4. Therefore, 1, 2, and 3 (1, 2, 3 Conjunction)
5. If 1, 2, and 3, then there must be a self-caused first cause
6. If there is a self-caused first cause, then God must exist
7. Therefore God exists (4, 5, 6 MMP)

Front 5

Thomas Aquinas: Third Cosmological Argument

Back 5

1. There are contingent events happening in the natural world
2. Every contingent event has a cause
3. Causes precede their effects
4. Therefore, 1, 2, 3 Conjunction
5. If 1, 2, and 3, then there is a necessarily existing first cause
6. If there is a necessarily existing first cause, then God exists
7. Therefore, God exists 4,5,6 MMP

Front 6

Paley's Human Eye Argument

Back 6

1. A highly complicated but useful human eye exists
2. If 1, then the evidence strongly supports the God hypothesis
3. The evidence strongly supports God

Front 7

Fine-Tuning Argument

Back 7

1. The universe is fine-tuned for life
2. If 1, then the evidence strongly supports the hypothesis that God exists
3. The evidence strongly supports the hypothesis that God exists

Front 8

Anslem's Ontological Argument

Back 8

1. If God exists only in the understanding, then we can conceive a being greater than God
2. We cannot conceive a being greater than God
3. Therefore it is not the case that God exists only in the understanding (1,2 MT)
4. Either God exists in reality or God exists only in the understanding
5. Therefore God exists in reality (3,4 Disjunctive Syllogism)

Front 9

Mackie's Logical Problem of Evil

Back 9

1. If an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent God exists, then there is no evil
2. There is evil in the world (suffering)
3. Therefore an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent God does not exist

Front 10

Evidential Problem of Evil

Back 10

1. If an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent God exists, then there are no instances of intense suffering that could have been prevented without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse.
2. There are instances of intense suffering that could have been prevented without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse.
3. Therefore an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent God does not exist.

Front 11

Free Will Objection to Problem of Evil

Back 11

1. Line 1 of LOGICAL argument is suspicious.
2. An Omnibenevolent God has reason for not eliminating evil.
3. God created the world with free humans who sometimes are evil.

Reply: God created the world where people freely choose the right action

Front 12

Descartes’ Argument for Doubt Based on Sense Perception

Back 12

1. Sometimes my senses have deceived me
2. If 1, then I have reason to doubt all my beliefs that came from my senses
3. Therefore I have reason to doubt all my beliefs that came from my senses

Front 13

Descartes’ Argument for doubt based on dreaming

Back 13

1. There are no indications that distinguish wakefulness from sleep
2. If 1 then I don’t know that I’m not dreaming
3. If I don’t know that I’m not dreaming, then 4
4. Therefore I have reason to doubt all beliefs that come from my senses

Front 14

Descartes’ argument for doubt based on an evil demon

Back 14

1. I don’t know that I’m not being deceived by an evil demon
2. If 1 then I have reason to doubt all my beliefs about the external world
3. Therefore I have reason to doubt all my beliefs about the external world

Front 15

Hume’s Problem of Induction Argument

Back 15

1. If there is any reason to believe PUN then our justification of PUN is either a priori or derived from experience
2. Our justification is neither a priori nor derived from experience
3. Therefore there is no reason to believe in PUN (1,2 MT)
4. If there is no reason to believe PUN, then there is no reason to believe the conclusion of any inductive argument
5. Therefore, there is no reason to believe the conclusion of any inductive argument (3,4 MP)

Front 16

Moore’s Response to Skepticism

Back 16

1. Here’s a hand (gesture)
2. Here’s another hand (gesture)
3. If 1 and 2, then external things exist
4. Therefore external things exist