Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: January 8, 2025, 12:27 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God
RE: The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God
(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:

The Ontological Argument

  1. It is possible that a maximally great being exists.
  2. If it is possible that a maximally great being exists, then a maximally great being exists is some possible world.
  3. If a maximally great being exists in some possible world, then it exists in every possible world.
  4. If a maximally great being exists in every possible world, then it exists in the actual world.
  5. If a maximally great being exists in the actual world, then a maximally great being exists.
  6. Therefore, a maximally great being exists.

Thoughts?
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"?)
He who loves God cannot endeavour that God should love him in return - Baruch Spinoza
Reply



Messages In This Thread
RE: The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God - by Cato - December 17, 2015 at 10:10 pm
RE: The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God - by Cato - December 17, 2015 at 11:33 pm
RE: The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God - by Cato - December 19, 2015 at 12:59 pm
RE: The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God - by Cato - December 24, 2015 at 10:26 am
RE: The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God - by Mudhammam - February 5, 2016 at 12:06 am

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Are miracles evidence of the existence of God? ido 74 7104 July 24, 2020 at 12:59 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  10 Syllogistic arguments for Gods existence Otangelo 84 13906 January 14, 2020 at 5:59 pm
Last Post: Abaddon_ire
  How to destroy any argument for God Drich 46 6893 October 9, 2019 at 9:02 am
Last Post: Mister Agenda
  How To Support Any Argument For God BrianSoddingBoru4 0 576 August 26, 2019 at 4:52 pm
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  How To Easily Defend Any Argument For God BrianSoddingBoru4 5 995 August 22, 2019 at 9:13 pm
Last Post: The Valkyrie
  Quantum Physics Proves God’s Existence blue grey brain 15 2350 January 2, 2019 at 11:08 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Why are you chasing the idea of the existence of a God? WinterHold 26 4170 August 7, 2018 at 2:05 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  11-Year-Old College Grad Wants to Pursue Astrophysics to Prove God’s Existence Silver 49 8637 August 2, 2018 at 4:51 pm
Last Post: Pat Mustard
  Very short argument for God (another clear proof) Mystic 123 27492 January 26, 2018 at 8:54 pm
Last Post: Succubus
  Another argument for God. Mystic 52 11082 January 24, 2018 at 3:28 pm
Last Post: uncool



Users browsing this thread: 85 Guest(s)