Name: Ontological Argument
Explain: Descartes and Anselm set out two arguments that proved God must exist
Illustrate: Descartes arguments premise is that god is a supremely perfect being, he then says that existence is a necessary quality of perfection, so comes to the conclusion that god must exist. Anselm’s version of the argument starts with the premise that God is the greatest conceivable being, and to be the greatest conceivable being must exist so therefore god must exist as otherwise he would not be as perfect as something that did.
Link: This is a strength of the notion that the idea of god is innate because we cannot experience the idea of god, but it must exist so is therefore innate.
Name: The trademark argument
Explain: This argument shows that god left some ideas in us, so the idea of god must be innate
Illustrate: The argument is as follows: Premise: i have an idea-----it didn't come to me through my senses------- I didn't make it up--------- i must have been born with it----- Something must have caused it to be there when i was born-------- That which causes something must have the attributes of that which it causes------Therefore the idea is perfect and thus the cause of the idea must be perfect------- Perfection = God
Link: This view proves that the idea of god is innate
or
One of the main arguments for idea of God being innate is the ‘trademark argument’ (Descartes)
It is argued that we have the knowledge of God that wasn’t experienced through senses and wasn’t made up. We cannot make God up because he is prefect by definition thus he cannot be imagined and we could not add or subtract to this idea of God. Therefore the only other solution of my knowledge of god is that I must have been born with it. God must be innate because we haven’t sensually experienced God and it is also impossible to have made him up.
Monday, 17 May 2010
strengths of the notion that the idea of God is innate
Labels:
Descartes,
Idea of God,
innate knowledge,
The Idea of God