RE: The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God
February 5, 2016 at 12:06 am
(This post was last modified: February 5, 2016 at 12:06 am by Mudhammam.)
(December 12, 2015 at 1:37 pm)athrock Wrote: I have never seen this argument before, so I'm interested in some discussion of it. A philosopher by the name of Alvin Plantinga states it this way:a) What does it mean to be "maximally great"? b) What does it mean to "exist"? (the thought of a "maximally great" circle exists... both in my intellect and in my imagination... but what does that mean? Does that satisfy the criteria of whatever it might mean for a "maximally great being" to "exist"?)
The Ontological Argument
- It is possible that a maximally great being exists.
- If it is possible that a maximally great being exists, then a maximally great being exists is some possible world.
- If a maximally great being exists in some possible world, then it exists in every possible world.
- If a maximally great being exists in every possible world, then it exists in the actual world.
- If a maximally great being exists in the actual world, then a maximally great being exists.
- Therefore, a maximally great being exists.
Thoughts?
He who loves God cannot endeavour that God should love him in return - Baruch Spinoza