Philosophy Final

(Aquinas) an attempt to prove God's existence by appealing to "evidence" found in the natural world.

(Aquinas) A principle in logic which states that:

• 1.) in any series of explanations there must be a stopping/starting point to avoid "infinite regress"
• 2.) the stopping/starting point must be different from the series being explained.

(Aquinas) Think about the domino example: nothing can move on its own and needs a first mover to start the motion.

This mover is called the "unmoved mover" (God).

(Aquinas) All living things are mortal and dependent (contingent), meaning that there must have been a time when nothing existed, and must have originated from a necessary being (God).

Something can't come from nothing.

(Aquinas) When making a comparative judgment about a living thing we appeal to the maximum of that thing, a being that possesses that quality essentially and is supreme in goodness, truth and in being.

We call this being God.

one which is finite and dependent

a being which has to exist and is independent and infinite

"the love of wisdom"

the study of the nature of reality

the study of the scope and limits of human knowledge

the study of morality, values, and character

critical thinking and logic

belief in a supernatural power

there is one ultimate force in the universe

there are many gods, but I worship one god

no god(s)

human energy, intelligence, resources, etc. should be directed to betterment of humanity

something is true if it matches a body of facts

something is true if it is logically consistent

• 1.) order does not necessarily imply design; natural processes can explain order.
• 2.) causal explanations are better (more scientific) than teleological ones

• 1.) the watch analogy is not good because we know empirically how watches are made
• 2.) the universe is not like a watch (machine), it is like an organism
• 3.) there is order in the universe, but much of order is a product of the human mind

Origin: human aspirations (love, truth, beauty, etc.)

Problems: debases man; alienates man from his true values; creates guilt and shame; creates dependence and hope for an imaginary being and world, respectively

Solution: humanism

Origin: economic inequality and poverty is the real problem; religion temporarily alleviates the pain of real suffering (similar to using a drug)

Solution: economic equality, end of poverty AKA Communism

Origin: infantile wish-fulfillment

Future: always be here because people need it unconsciously

Mass Neurosis: many people believe in a God, making it real (logical fallacy)

The Unconscious: we still remember infancy and dependence on parents

• 1.) Aesthetic: characterized by the search for pleasure, variety, etc. (young people; teens, young adults)
• 2.) Ethical: characterized by duty, reason, commitment, etc. (get older, settle down, have a family)
• 3.) Religious: leap of faith in belief in God (search for meaning in life)

Passionate (emotional, not logical), subjective, irrational, divine madness, paradoxical

choose to believe in God in order to have meaning in life.

consequences of belief

a claim is meaningful if it affects the way I behave

a claim is true if acting on my belief is confirmed by my experience

• Live: a belief which is credible and important to me
• Dead: a belief which is NOT credible and important to me