Philosophy of Religion Exam

Review for PHIL*2130 DE - Philosophy of Religion at the University of Guelph. 

61 cards   |   Total Attempts: 182
  

Cards In This Set

Front Back
The problem of the philosophy of religion
1. Revelation lies at the heart of high, pure religion 2. Revelation doesnt allow for philosophical, rational analysis.
Naturalism
Relies on reason and experience as opposed to scripture and religious experience.
Deism
A reference to a divine being that created the world but no longer continues to be involved in it.
Henotheism
The worship of one chief god while accepting many others
Pantheism
all things are God and God is all things.
Panantheism
God containing all things but is distinct from the universe
Asiety
(ontological independance) Depends on nothing
Anselm's Argument
  1. God is the greatest possible being (nothing greater can be conceived)
  2. If God exists in the mind alone (only as an idea), then a greater being could be imagined to exist both in the mind and in reality
  3. This being would then be greater than God
  4. Thus God cannot exist only as an idea in the mind
  5. Therefore, God exists both in the mind (as an idea) and in reality.
Gaunilo's 4 Criticisms
1. The move from existence in intellctu nd in re is illegitemate. Basically saying a thing doesnt exist simply becuase you understand it.
2. Perfect island argument - necessary existence is presupposed in the first premise. To which Anselm replies, nothing can exist in mind or fact alone.
3. You have to begin proving something exists before talking about its existence in intellectu or qualities. Until then, you can conceive of it not existing. Reply: if it could be conceived not to be, it would have a beginning and an end. This is not possible.
4. While we may admit God's existence cannot be known, it is not to say it cannot be conceived.
Theory of Causality
Material Cause: matter, stuff somethings made of. Formal: embodied in an individual body Efficient: what brings it into being Final: Purpose, end
Aquinas's First two Articles
God is not self evident. God can be proven.
The Five Ways
Five Ways: 1) Motion - Cosmological. Shows first mover. 2)Efficient Causality - first cause. Shows first cause. 3)Contingency - necessary. Shows necessary being. 4)Degrees of perfection. Shows greatest being. 5)Purposiveness - intelligence. Shows intelligence.
First way from Motion
1)Things move 2)Whatever moves is moved by another 3)Whatever moves a thing must also be in motion and so on. 4)This cant go on forever, no first mover. Therefore there must be a first mover, who we see as God.
Second Way from Efficient Causality
1)Things are caused. 2) Whatever is caused is caused by another 3) Whatever causes something is caused by something, and so on. 4) To take away the cause is to take away the effect 5)It is impossible that there is no first cause because there would be no effects -Aristotle's formal causality. -Not cause------time------>Effect, but an ever-present cause.
Third way from Contingency
1)Somethings exist contingently, it is possible both that they exist and fail to at the same time, although they do in fact exist (they might not have). 2)IF something exists contingently, it didnt at some time. 3)If everything is contingent, at some time there was nothing. 4)If at some time there was nothing, there would be nothing now 5) There was never a time when there was nothing and hence not everything exists contingently. Therefore god.