Lesson 7

Lesson 7: Philosophy of Religion Introduction

 

"The philosophy of religion is one of the most fascinating areas of philosophy. It addresses not only the perennial question Is there a God?, but also the questions If there is, then what is he like? and, most important of all, What does that mean for us?(philosophyofreligion.info 2008)." Another branch of metaphysics and closely related to philosophical cosmology, the philosophy of religion primarily deals with the arguments for and against the existence of God (or other deity), the attributes of God, and the problem of evil. This lesson will briefly touch on these questions within the philosophy of religion.

 

Does God Exist?

            There are numerous classical arguments for the existence of God. Philosophers have attempted for centuries to distill a compelling case for the existence of a being above and beyond humankind. While typically associated with Christian theologians, Jewish and Islamic philosophers have also made contributions to the philosophy of religion, as have Plato and Aristotle. This section sets forth some of the most common arguments for God's existence.

            Argument from religious experience: Less of a philosophical argument than an experiential claim, this proof for the existence of God simply claims actual experience of God. This argument contends that, since it is only possible to experience that which exists, and experience of God is proof of His existence. People experience God, therefore God exists. The weakness of this argument is that it relies heavily on subjective experience to make its case and that not all religious experiences are similar in nature (philosophyofreligion.info 2008).

            Cosmological argument: Simply put, this argument contends that the existence of the physical universe is strong enough evidence to prove the existence of a God that created it. The classic cosmological argument is as follows:

1. Everything that exists has a cause of its existence.

2. The universe exists.

3. Therefore the universe has a cause of its existence.

4. If the universe has a cause of its existence, then that cause is God.

5. Therefore, God exists.

            Another variation of this argument is the kalam cosmological argument, put forth by Islamic philosophers. In this version, "…the distinction drawn between the universe and God is that the universe has a beginning in time. Everything that has a beginning in time … has a cause of its existence. As the universe has a beginning in time, then … the universe has a cause of its existence, and that cause is God" (philosophyofreligion.info, 2008).

            Ontological argument: The ontological argument is one of the stronger reasons for the existence of God and it relies on no empirical evidence whatsoever. Simply put, it argues that our very conception of God is proof that He exists. There are several versions of this proof, but the definitive form of the argument, written by St. Anselm, goes like this (philosophyofreligon.info, 2008):

1. God is that than which no greater can be conceived.

2. If God is that than which no greater can be conceived then there is nothing greater than God that can be imagined.

3. Therefore there is nothing greater than God that can be imagined.

4. If God does not exist then there is something greater than God that can be imagined.

5. Therefore, God exists.

            Pascal's Wager: One of the more controversial "proofs" for God's existence was posited by the French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal. In short, he weighed the various consequences for believing in God or not believing in God whether or not God exists. He concluded that believing in God would bear infinite rewards if He exists, whereas not believing would bring infinite suffering. However, if God did not exist, believing in Him would only result in a minimal loss during life on Earth.

            Teleological argument: This is an argument from intelligent design. One of the most famous incarnations of this is Paley's Watchmaker Argument. It can be summarized as follows:

"Paley likened the universe to a watch, with many ordered parts working in harmony to further some purpose. Just as the complexity, order, and purpose of a watch implies intelligent design, he suggested, so too the complexity, order, and purpose of the universe implies intelligent design. The argument as he constructed it is thus an argument from analogy" (philosophyofreligion.info).

 

 

The Nature of God

 

            When delving into the nature of God, it is important to consider that He would be a being very different from ourselves. The physical world of human experience is imperfect, fragile and subject to change – God, on the other hand, represents perfection, power and immutability. (sevenoaksphilosophy.org 2011).

            Indeed, the nature of God has been considered to be so radically different from the nature of human beings that some have claimed God to be unknowable by our finite minds--at least in some sense. As a consequence of this reasoning, twelfth-century Jewish philosopher Maimonides developed a negative theology in which God can only be described in terms of what he is not: descriptive terms are so limited by their application to the world that they cannot adequately express the nature of the divine (sevenoaksphilosophy.org 2011).

            Despite this, however the prevalence of Judeo-Christian theology throughout the western world have produced a number of characteristics generally ascribed to God, namely:

            Immutable: God's basic nature does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

            Incorporeal: God does not have a physical form like his creation does. He exists outside of time and space as we humans understand it.

            Infallibility: God does not commit errors or make mistakes.

            Infinite existence: God has no beginning nor end. He was uncreated and cannot die.

            Male: God is generally considered to have male attributes in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

            Omni-benevolent: God is all-good and morally perfect. His intentions toward His creation and mankind are unquestionably good.

            Omnipotence: God is all-powerful and can do anything that is logically possible within His creation.

            Omniscience: God knows all. As the Creator of the known universe, it is assumed He has intimate knowledge of all its details.

           

The Problem of Evil

            One of the more potent arguments against the existence of God--at least the Judeo-Christian conception of God--is the problem of evil. Many atheist philosophers have used one or more versions of this argument (there are four major forms: argument from imperfection, the argument from moral evil, the argument from unbelief, and theargument from natural evil) to advance their position that God does not exist, to varying effect.

            Briefly, the problem of evil argument uses the ascribed attributes of God to disprove His existence. The basic argument is as follows:

            "1. Assuming God exists, He he is omniscient, omnipotent and perfectly good.

             2. If God were omniscient, omnipotent and perfectly good then the world would not contain evil.

             3. The world contains evil.

             Therefore:   

             4. It is not the case that God exists (philosophyofreligion.info 2008)."

            There are many responses to the challenge of the problem of evil, each targeting a different premise or presupposition asserted by its various forms, such as denying the goodness of God or the existence of evil in the world (as some western religions have claimed). Whether the problem of evil can be seen as a definitive argument against the existence of God is still a matter of intense philosophical debate.