The Ontological Argument

Slides:



Advertisements
Similar presentations
The ontological argument is based entirely upon logic and reason and doesn’t really try to give a posteriori evidence to back it up. Anselm would claim.
Advertisements

Today’s Outline Hume’s Problem of Induction Two Kinds of Skepticism
The Ontological Argument Define the terms: Ontology, Analytic, Synthetic, God. Recall Psalm 14:1. Define God in Anselm’s terms. Summarise Anselm’s Ontological.
Idealism.
Is there a rational basis for the belief in God..
Rationalism: Knowledge Is Acquired through Reason, not the Senses We know only that of which we are certain. Sense experience cannot guarantee certainty,
Is Belief in God Reasonable? Faith Seeking Understanding A posteriori arguments (based on experience): The teleological argument (from design) The cosmological.
Criticisms of the Ontological Argument
Epistemology Revision
Descartes Meditations. Knowledge needs a foundation Descartes knows he has false beliefs, but he does not know which ones are false So, we need a method.
A Priori vs. A Posteriori If I know something, I must have justification. If justification essentially relies on sensory experience, then it is a posteriori.
Proof and Probability (can be applied to arguments for the existence of God)
Ontological Argument. Teleological argument depends upon evidence about the nature of the world and the organisms and objects in it. Cosmological argument.
Knowledge rationalism Michael Lacewing
Hume’s conclusion (Section IV, Part II) 1. All of our arguments concerning existence (matters of fact) are founded on the relation of cause and effect.
The Ontological Argument
Certainty and Truths.
Can religious language be meaningful? Today’s lesson will be successful if you can: Explain the Verification Principle Critique the Verification Principle.
Ayer & the Weak Verification Principle LO’s: 1: To understand the ideas of A.J. Ayer 2: To consider how he developed the verification principle LO’s: 1:
WEEK 3: Metaphysics Natural Theology – Anselm’s Ontological Argument.
The Ontological Argument
The Copleston, Russell Debate Copleston’s Cosmological argument (1948 BBC radio debate)
Proof of God’s existence. Aim To have an understanding of the different ways people try to prove that God exists.
Aquinas’ Proofs The five ways. Thomas Aquinas ( ) Joined Dominican order against the wishes of his family; led peripatetic existence thereafter.
The Mickey Mouse Guide to the Ontological Argument
KNOWLEDGE AND CERTAINTY (Part 1)
Hume’s Fork A priori/ A posteriori Empiricism/ Rationalism
Intuition and deduction thesis (rationalism)
Frege: Kaiser’s chariot is drawn by four horses
Knowledge Empiricism 2.
Hume’s Fork A priori/ A posteriori Empiricism/ Rationalism
The ontological argument
Arguments for the Existence of God – ‘theistic proofs’
Philosophy of Religion
Challenges to the OAs The different versions of OA are challenged by:
A Mickey Mouse Guide to the Ontological Argument
Introduction to the Religion, Philosophy & Ethics A Level
O.A. so far.. Anselm – from faith, the fool, 2 part argument
Other versions of the ontological argument
The Ontological Argument: An Introduction
Philosophy of Mathematics 1: Geometry
Major Periods of Western Philosophy
Michael Lacewing Hume and Kant Michael Lacewing © Michael Lacewing.
Rationalism.
The Ontological Argument: St. Anselm’s First Argument
The Copleston, Russell Debate
The Cosmological Argument Kalam Argument
The Ontological Argument
On your whiteboard: What is empiricism? Arguments/evidence for it?
Kant’s Categorical Imperative - revision
In pairs, write a list of all the reasons people believe in God.
THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT.
Major Periods of Western Philosophy
Explore the use of a’priori reasoning in the ontological argument
1 A The Cosmological Argument Kalam Argument
The Ontological Argument
Describe this object: Does it help describe it further by saying it exists?
THE DEBATE BETWEEN COPLESTON AND RUSSELL.
The Cosmological Argument
Rene Descartes Father of Modern Philosophy b. March in La Haye France wrote Meditations in 1641 d. February
Phil2303 intro to logic.
The Big Picture Deductive arguments - origins of the ontological argument Deductive proofs; the concept of ‘a priori’. St Anselm - God as the greatest.
What makes these things different?
The Ontological Argument
THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT.
By the end of today’s lesson you will:
Ontological Argument – challenges against
Logic, A priori and A posteriori, Analytic and Synthetic.
An example of the “axiomatic approach” from geometry
Explore the weaknesses of the ontological argument. (8 marks)
Presentation transcript:

The Ontological Argument Dr Hatfield

Aim to understand the difference between a priori and a posteriori A priori (before) does not start from experience. A posteriori (after) experience is needed Focus on the word prior and posterior to help you remember which way round they are.

So. A priori are things that once you have learnt (e. g So...... A priori are things that once you have learnt (e.g. This is particularly easy to relate to mathematical relationships) you do not need any further experience to conclude that the premise is true. A posteriori you need further experience or evidence to know whether the premise is correct.

Which of these are a priori and which are a posteriori? A bachelor is an unmarried man. A triangle has 3 sides. Mr Smith is a bachelor. All bears are brown.

All bears are animals. What makes this statement true?

All bears are animals. What makes this statement true? By analysing the word bear it must be an animal. It does not make sense for the bear not be an animal. ( we are not talking about teddy bears Paddington bear or any toy bears)

Come up with 2 other a priori statements about bears

Come up with 2 other a priori statements about bears All bears will die. All bears have bones.

All St TM A2 R. E. Students live in brick houses All St TM A2 R.E. Students live in brick houses? Is this statement a priori or a posteriori? Explain your answer. Divide a page into 3, the first column will be the widest as it will contain statements. WORK IN PAIRS Come up with 5 statements (about anything) that include a priori and a posteriori statements. We will visit each others groups write down and asses their satements. We will then peer assess each other’s answers.

Analytic and synthetic are distinctions between types of statements Immanuel Kant in Critique of Pure Reason to find some sound basis for human knowledge. If a statement is synthetic, its truth value can only be determined by relying upon observation and experience. Its truth value cannot be determined by relying solely upon logic or examining the meaning of the words involved. Examples include: All men are arrogant. The president is dishonest. Kant says if a statement is analytic, then it is true by definition. Examples include: Bachelors are unmarried. Daisies are flowers.

Aim to understand the difference between a priori and a posteriori A priori (before) does not start from experience. ANALYTIC A posteriori (after) experience is needed SYNTHETIC Focus on the word prior and posterior to help you remember which way round they are.

St Thomas Aquinas says ‘God exists’ is a synthetic statement (a posteriori) It makes no sense to say there is no God like it makes no sense to say there aren’t any bears. Both statements are based on evidence and may or may not be true (a posteriori)

Aquinas says: If we did know God’s essence it would be possible to know God’s essence includes God’s existence but we cannot know this.

Theories to prove God’s existence List them. Are they a priori or a posteriori?

The Ontological argument This is different in that it is an a priori argument

Plenary Produce your own definition and an example of a statment for; A priori/ANALYTIC A posteriori/SYNTHETIC