Philosophy of Religion: The Concept of God

Philosophy of Religion: The Concept of God
(Note: the time is in the afternoon)
Parking info: The parking lot may be busy; u can find street parking on Mayview Ave residential area instead.

This is a session on philosophy of religion in the analytical tradition. We will start with the concept of God and then proceed to the well-known arguments for the existence of God. Each of the arguments may presume a certain concept of God.

The session will not draw any conclusion on the existence of God, or the nature of God. Even atheists could be interested in this session, because to claim that God does not exist, one has already assumed a concept of God.

Anselm’s definition of God: “that than which nothing greater can be conceived.”
The traditional concept of God in Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam):

• A person: God is a person.
• Omnipotence: God has unlimited power.
• Omniscience: God knows all truths.
• Moral Perfection: God is perfectly good and just.
• Eternal: God exists outside of time.
• Immutable: God’s properties do not change.
• Omnipresent: God is everywhere.
• Necessary: God exists in all possible worlds.
• Unique: God is identical in all possible worlds.
• Creator of the Universe: God is the source of all that exists.

What properties can be removed from this list, and what should be added?

Is the philosopher's God different from the God of the ordinary believer? (Is the physicists table different from a household table?)
If someone speaks of “God” with some of these properties removed (or others added), is one no longer speaking of God?

• A being with limited power, but powerful enough to create the universe.
• A being with all the above properties but does not care about human beings.
• A being with all the above properties but can lie and produce evil.
• A being with limited knowledge allowing human to have free will.

Traditional arguments for the existence of God:

### 1. Cosmological Arguments

These argue that the existence of the universe requires a cause or explanation beyond itself.

• Kalam Cosmological Argument:
• Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
• The universe began to exist.
• Therefore, the universe has a cause—identified as God.
• Argument from Contingency:
• Contingent things exist (they could have not existed).
• There must be a necessary being that explains why contingent things exist.
• This necessary being is God.
• Argument from Change or Motion (Aristotle/Aquinas):
• Change requires a changer.
• There must be a first unmoved mover—God.

### 2. Ontological Argument

This is a purely logical argument, famously proposed by Anselm:

• God is defined as the greatest conceivable being.
• A being that exists in reality is greater than one that exists only in the mind.
• Therefore, God must exist in reality.

Modern versions (e.g., by Alvin Plantinga) use modal logic to argue that if God’s existence is possible, then God exists necessarily.

### 3. Teleological Argument (Design)

This argues from the apparent design and order in the universe:

• The universe exhibits complex, purposeful order.
• Such order is unlikely to arise by chance.
• Therefore, it is best explained by an intelligent designer—God.

### 4. Moral Argument

This appeals to the existence of objective moral values:

• If objective moral values exist, then God exists.
• Objective moral values do exist.
• Therefore, God exists.

This argument is often associated with thinkers like Immanuel Kant and C.S. Lewis.

### 5. Argument from Consciousness or Reason

• Human consciousness and rationality are difficult to explain purely through physical processes.
• A transcendent mind (God) provides a better explanation.

### 6. Other Arguments

• Argument from Beauty: The experience of beauty points to a transcendent source.
• Argument from Religious Experience: Widespread reports of encounters with the divine suggest a real referent.
• Pascal’s Wager: Not a proof, but a pragmatic argument—it's safer to believe in God than not, given the potential consequences.