Friday, September 14, 2012

The Teleological Argument for God's Existence

And here is what W. L. Craig offers as a basic teleological argument:

  1. The fine-tuning of the universe is due to either physical necessity, chance, or design.
  2. It is not due to physical necessity or chance.
  3. Therefore, it is due to design.

The Cosmological Argument for God's Existence

Here are two cosmological arguments for the existence of God.

First, Leibniz:

  1. Anything that exists has an explanation of its existence, either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause.
  2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God.
  3. The universe exists.
  4. Therefore, the universe has an explanation of its existence.
  5. Therefore, the explanation of the existence of the universe is God.
And next, the kalam argument:

  1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
  2. The universe began to exist.
  3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
These arguments, along with those of my previous posts, are all taken from Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig.

The Ontological Argument for God's Existence

Here is the ontological argument outline as formulated by Alvin Plantinga, taken from Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig.

  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 in 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.

The Moral Argument for God's Existence

In order to keep these arguments handy, here I am going to outline the basic premises/conclusion of the moral argument.
  1. If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist.
  2. Objective moral values and duties do exist.
  3. Therefore, God exists.