3.3 Metaphysics of God
The concept and nature of 'God' fl ashcards done
God's attributes:
God as omniscient, omnipotent, supremely good (omnibenevolent), and the
meaning(s) of these divine attributes
competing views on such a being’s relationship to time, including God being
timeless (eternal) and God being within time (everlasting).
arguments for the incoherence of the concept of God including:
o the paradox of the stone
o the Euthyphro dilemma
o the compatibility, or otherwise, of the existence of an omniscient God and free
human beings.
Arguments relating to the existence of God
For the arguments below pay particular attention to:
- Nuances in the logical form of the arguments (deductive, inductive etc),
- The strengths of the conclusions (God does exist, God must exist etc)
- The nature of God assumed or defended by the argument.
Ontological arguments
St Anselm's ontological argument.
Descartes' ontological argument.
Norman Malcolm's ontological argument.
Issues that may arise for the arguments above, including:
Gaunilo's 'perfect island' objection
Empiricist objections to a priori arguments for existence
Kant's objection based on existence not being a predicate.
Teleological/design arguments (fl ashcards done)
The design argument from analogy (as presented by Hume).
, William Paley’s design argument: argument from spatial order/purpose.
Richard Swinburne’s design argument: argument from temporal
order/regularity.
Issues that may arise for the arguments above, including:
Hume's objections to the design argument from analogy
the problem of spatial disorder (as posed by Hume and Paley)
the design argument fails as it is an argument from a unique case (Hume)
whether God is the best or only explanation.
Cosmological arguments
The Kalām argument (an argument from temporal causation).
Aquinas' 1st Way (argument from motion), 2nd Way (argument from
atemporal causation) and 3rd way (an argument from contingency).
Descartes' argument based on his continuing existence (an argument from
causation).
Leibniz’s argument from the principle of sufficient reason (an argument from
contingency).
Issues that may arise for the arguments above, including:
the possibility of an infinite series
Hume's objection to the 'causal principle'
the argument commits the fallacy of composition (Russell)
the impossibility of a necessary being (Hume and Russell).
The Problem of Evil
Whether God’s attributes can be reconciled with the existence of evil.
The nature of moral evil and natural evil.
The logical and evidential forms of the problem of evil.
Responses to these issues and issues arising from these responses, including:
the Free Will Defence (including Alvin Plantinga)
soul-making (including John Hick).
, Religious language
The distinction between cognitivism and non-cognitivism about religious
language.
The empiricist/logical positivist challenges to the status of metaphysical
(here, religious) language: the verification principle and
verification/falsification (Ayer).
o Hick’s response to Ayer (eschatological verification) and issues arising from that
response.
Further responses: the 'University Debate'
o Anthony Flew on falsification (Wisdom’s ‘Gardener’)
o Basil Mitchell's response to Flew (the Partisan)
o Hare's response to Flew (bliks and the lunatic)
and issues arising from those responses.
3.4 Metaphysics of mind: What do we mean by ‘mind’?
Features of mental states:
All or at least some mental states have phenomenal properties
o Some, but not all, philosophers use the term 'qualia' to refer to these
properties, where 'qualia' are defined as 'intrinsic and non-intentional
phenomenal properties that are introspectively accessible'
All or at least some mental states have intentional properties (ie
intentionality).
Dualist theories
Substance dualism: Minds exist and are not identical to bodies or to parts of
bodies.
The indivisibility argument for substance dualism (Descartes).
The concept and nature of 'God' fl ashcards done
God's attributes:
God as omniscient, omnipotent, supremely good (omnibenevolent), and the
meaning(s) of these divine attributes
competing views on such a being’s relationship to time, including God being
timeless (eternal) and God being within time (everlasting).
arguments for the incoherence of the concept of God including:
o the paradox of the stone
o the Euthyphro dilemma
o the compatibility, or otherwise, of the existence of an omniscient God and free
human beings.
Arguments relating to the existence of God
For the arguments below pay particular attention to:
- Nuances in the logical form of the arguments (deductive, inductive etc),
- The strengths of the conclusions (God does exist, God must exist etc)
- The nature of God assumed or defended by the argument.
Ontological arguments
St Anselm's ontological argument.
Descartes' ontological argument.
Norman Malcolm's ontological argument.
Issues that may arise for the arguments above, including:
Gaunilo's 'perfect island' objection
Empiricist objections to a priori arguments for existence
Kant's objection based on existence not being a predicate.
Teleological/design arguments (fl ashcards done)
The design argument from analogy (as presented by Hume).
, William Paley’s design argument: argument from spatial order/purpose.
Richard Swinburne’s design argument: argument from temporal
order/regularity.
Issues that may arise for the arguments above, including:
Hume's objections to the design argument from analogy
the problem of spatial disorder (as posed by Hume and Paley)
the design argument fails as it is an argument from a unique case (Hume)
whether God is the best or only explanation.
Cosmological arguments
The Kalām argument (an argument from temporal causation).
Aquinas' 1st Way (argument from motion), 2nd Way (argument from
atemporal causation) and 3rd way (an argument from contingency).
Descartes' argument based on his continuing existence (an argument from
causation).
Leibniz’s argument from the principle of sufficient reason (an argument from
contingency).
Issues that may arise for the arguments above, including:
the possibility of an infinite series
Hume's objection to the 'causal principle'
the argument commits the fallacy of composition (Russell)
the impossibility of a necessary being (Hume and Russell).
The Problem of Evil
Whether God’s attributes can be reconciled with the existence of evil.
The nature of moral evil and natural evil.
The logical and evidential forms of the problem of evil.
Responses to these issues and issues arising from these responses, including:
the Free Will Defence (including Alvin Plantinga)
soul-making (including John Hick).
, Religious language
The distinction between cognitivism and non-cognitivism about religious
language.
The empiricist/logical positivist challenges to the status of metaphysical
(here, religious) language: the verification principle and
verification/falsification (Ayer).
o Hick’s response to Ayer (eschatological verification) and issues arising from that
response.
Further responses: the 'University Debate'
o Anthony Flew on falsification (Wisdom’s ‘Gardener’)
o Basil Mitchell's response to Flew (the Partisan)
o Hare's response to Flew (bliks and the lunatic)
and issues arising from those responses.
3.4 Metaphysics of mind: What do we mean by ‘mind’?
Features of mental states:
All or at least some mental states have phenomenal properties
o Some, but not all, philosophers use the term 'qualia' to refer to these
properties, where 'qualia' are defined as 'intrinsic and non-intentional
phenomenal properties that are introspectively accessible'
All or at least some mental states have intentional properties (ie
intentionality).
Dualist theories
Substance dualism: Minds exist and are not identical to bodies or to parts of
bodies.
The indivisibility argument for substance dualism (Descartes).
