Arguments for the existence of God

Over a millennium after Aristotle wrote his unmoved mover argument. The Catholic philosopher Saint Thomas Aquinas reintroduced the idea as part of his five proofs for the existence of God. Aquinas’s first way is derived from motion. Following the same premise as Aristotle, Aquinas argues that a first mover, existing in a state of perfect actuality, must exist to move things from potential to actual states. Absence of this first mover would result in an infinite regress; therefore, the…

question commonly appears in many philosophical works - with many significant philosophers expressing skepticism about the external world’s existence. René Descartes details a particularly notable and compelling argument for skepticism about the external world in his Meditations on First Philosophy, specifically in his “First Meditation”. Descartes argument centers around bringing everything we think we know and understand into doubt. To accomplish this, Descartes first questions information we…

In an effort to argue for the existence of God, Saint Thomas Aquinas provides five cosmological arguments in his piece “The Existence of God”. The second argument he states examines causes and effects and looks to explain these series in regard to their beginning, or first cause (43:1-2). Aquinas says that the chain of causes and effects cannot go back to “infinity” (43:60) because when the first cause is taken out, so is its effect and every following effect (43:61). I find this claim plausible…

In this essay I will be analyzing Blaise Pascal’s argument that one should bring themselves to believe in God because it is logical to wager or bet “that God is”. I will first outline his three premises of the wager and then I will have a criticism that is held against him. Specifically, the criticism is towards his second premise which states, “you must wager. It is not optional”. Lastly, I will be responding to that criticism, since I am agreeing with Pascal’s premise. Pascal’s wager consists…

There have been many arguments formed throughout the history of philosophy in support of the existence of God. Among these arguments is a unique claim known as Pascal’s Wager. Pascal’s Wager was formulated by the seventeenth century French philosopher Blaise Pascal. Pascal’s Wager is different than other philosophical arguments in the sense that it is not an evidence based argument. Pascal’s Wager is based solely on reason whereas other arguments, such as the teleological argument, are based on…

of Craig's Kalam Cosmological Argument? Did you think it was a sound argument? Why or why not? Craig Kalam’s Cosmological argument argues in favor of the existence of God. The premises for the argument are as follows, 1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause 2. The universe began to exist 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause. In essence, how could the universe (something) suddenly appear out of nothing? His argument claims that it is not possible, as God, an omnipotent being who,…

meditation, Descartes attempts to provide evidence for the existence of God. He raises one main argument, followed by a supplemental argument. He sets up his first premise by stating that he, in fact, does have a concept of God: a God that is eternal and all-knowing. This idea builds upon an understanding of a more “objective reality” (cite) than that of regular, finite substances. This objective reality alludes to the concept that God represents the infinite, perfect form…

to prove his existence and that God exists? (one of the proofs). Discuss whether his reasoning is sound and convincing. In this essay, I will discuss how after the first and second meditation, Descartes knows that he exists and that he is a thinking thing. I will then proceed to analyze the third meditation in which Descartes focuses on a causal argument for existence of God who is perfect. By the end of the third meditation, Descartes appears to prove that he is not God and that God exists.…

anything that is not building on strong certain arguments is not knowledge and it’s just a false concept. He stated that the knowledge should be certain form the core of its foundation. If the knowledge is not having a strong foundation form the initial stage all the knowledge that is built upon is not credible. While the concept of knowledge that ghazali held was that it is attained from God and his teachings. He tried to find out the answers about the existence and acquisition of knowledge. He…

that it is a creator has been the most complex understanding that been argued every sense the existences of mankind. The objective of religion (overall) is to being certainty in an uncertain world and to give people a piece of mine about the challenges that they may face during their journey in this world. Therefore, for argument sake I will use the Argument from Desire to prove the existence of God. Argument from Desire states that “Every natural, innate desire in us corresponds to some real…