THE DEBATE BETWEEN COPLESTON AND RUSSELL

INTRODUCTION - page 20 He is a theist He is agnostic What religious position does Copleston take? He is a theist What religious position does Russell take? He is agnostic What do they both agree the definition of God to mean? ‘A supreme being – distinct from the world and the Creator of the world What do they disagree on in the introduction? That morality cannot be objective or absolute without the God previously defined. They agree to discuss this point at a later date.

THE ARGUMENT FROM CONTINGENCY - pages 21-23 What is a contingent being? One that relies on something else to exist What is a necessary being? One that does not rely on anything else to exist Why does Copleston believe that there must be a necessary being? Because the universe is full of contingent beings, they could not have created themselves and so there must be a necessary being who created them. Why does Russell disagree with him? He does not think there is such as thing as a necessary being. He thinks the term necessary can only apply to analytic statements and tautologies. Which of Kant’s criticisms of the Ontological Argument does Russell refer to? The idea of defining something into existence. Why does Copleston reject trying to prove God a’priori? Because he believes He can be proved a’posteriori through observation of religious experiences.

THE PRINCIPLE OF SUFFICIENT REASON - page 24 What is the principle of sufficient reason? A complete explanation, something that you would not need to add anything to. Why does Copleston believe that God creating the universe is a sufficient reason? Because God is a necessary being so we do not need to add to the explanation ‘What created God?’. What does Russell think about looking for a sufficient reason for the universe? It is a waste of time – one cannot be found. What does Copleston think about Russell’s views? We should at least look for an explanation before assuming that there isn’t one.

THE UNIVERSE IS THE TOTALITY OF THE OBJECTS INSIDE IT – pages 24 - 28 Why does Copleston argue that the universe must have a cause? Because all of the parts of the universe can be observed to have a cause. Why does Russell disagree with him? Just because we can observe that the parts of the universe have a cause, we cannot assume that the universe as a whole has a cause because we cannot observe that. What is the Fallacy of Composition? When you assume that what is true of the parts is also true of the whole. What does Copleston say about science and cause and effect? See summary booklet to help you. Scientists assume cause and effect in the order and intelligibility of nature. What does Russell say about science and cause and effect? See summary booklet to help you. Scientists may hope to find causes but they do not always expect to find them.

RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE – pages 28 - 30 What sort of argument is Copleston proposing for the existence of God? An inductive one – one that used premises and if the premises are correct, then the conclusion probably is. What is a mystical experience? One that leaves the experient completely overwhelmed by a feeling that they cannot quite describe but they instinctively understand the source of that feeling to be God. Why does Copleston believe that mystical experiences prove the existence of God? Because if people have felt something, there must be a source of that feeling. Why is Russell sceptical of mystical experiences? They are very private in nature, they cannot be verified by others.

RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE – pages 28 - 30 What does Russell say about fictional characters? They can cause people to experience overwhelming feelings – people in Japan have committed suicide over fictional characters. How does Copleston respond to Russell’s point about fictional characters? The feelings felt from a mystical experience of God are different to those caused by a fictional character. What does Russell say about religious experience and Satan? Whatever can be said of experiences of God could also be said of experiences of Satan. How does Copleston respond to Russell’s point about Satan? An experience of God would have a different impact on a person’s life than an experience of Satan.

RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE – pages 28 - 30 What does Copleston believe is a good indicator of whether someone has had a religious experience? The impact it has had on their life. Why does Copleston think that we should believe people who live a moral life when they say that they have had a religious experience? He thinks that living a moral life is evidence that a person is truthful and sane. Why does Russell disagree with Copleson’s ideas above? He argues that good effects on a person are no proof that there was a being who was the source of these effects. The most these effects can tell us is that the person claiming to have had the experience believes that there was. What does Russell mean when he says that religious believers are ‘loving a phantom’? He is suggesting that religious believers are in love with the idea of something and it is this that effects how they live their lives. How does Copleston respond to Russell’s point above? He says that we don’t fall in love with any old character, there has to be a something about them to be admired. He suggests that we love the character because of the value that they represent, eg compassion etc. He argues that what we actually fall in love with is the value, and even the character is not real, the value is.