Philosophy Flashcards
(37 cards)
What is the principle of sufficient reason?
Who used this is a support argument? Supporting which argument?
Everything that exists must have a reason for why it exists
Used by Leibniz to support the cosmological argument
What were Gaunillo’s 2 analogical responses to the ontological argument?
Reductio ad absurdum argument in his essay ‘On behalf of the fool’ - the perfect island analogy (just because you can imagine the perfect island doesn’t mean it exists, especially considering that perfection is subjective)
Gossip - unreliable information considered truth simply because the statement exists
Describe the Epicurean Hypothesis
A) What is it?
B) Who came up with it?
C) Who used it and to argue against what?
A) The universe came together by chance
B) Epicurus
C) Hume against design
Give a quote by Mackie on evil and suffering
“A wholly good being eliminates evil as far as it can.”
Define privatio boni
Evil is the absence of good (like how dark is the absence of light)
Give Epicurus’ quote on evil and suffering
“Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
What was the name of St Anselm’s book?
Proslogion
What is the definition of ontology?
What does the Latin ‘ontos’ translate to?
What does the Latin ‘logos’ translate to?
The study of existence
‘Ontos’ = being
‘Logos’ = logic
Does Alvin Platinga support or oppose the ontological argument?
In which books does he provide his own explanation of the argument?
Supports
‘The Nature of Necessity’ and ‘God, Freedom and Evil’
In what way does Aquinas suggest a weakness of Anselm’s argument?
Aquinas insists we do not know a definition for God and to define God is to limit God
How did Anselm respond to Gaunillo’s perfect island analogy?
Anselm responded to Gaunillo’s perfect island analogy by suggesting that just because you can imagine a physical thing that does not exist doesn’t mean you can do the same with God. This is because God is necessary, not contingent
What are Aquinas’ 5 ways in the cosmological argument?
- Motion
- Causation
- Possibility and necessity
- Gradation
- Design
What is Occam’s Razor?
Is it a strength or weakness of the cosmological argument?
Occam’s Razor is a strength of the CA because it says you should choose the belief that makes the fewest assumptions - making a singular uncaused, necessary being the best option
Give 2 reasons why Hume would oppose the cosmological argument and the teleological argument?
Problem of induction
We have no direct experience of creation so cannot speak meaningfully about it
What was Russell’s argument against the cosmological argument?
Fallacy of composition - you cannot link parts of something to the whole - universe is not contingent just because inside it is. Therefore the universe itself could be the necessary being
What is anthropomorphism? Is it a strength or weakness of the design argument?
Attributing human characteristics to God - Paley’s language being anthropomorphic is a weakness of the argument
What is the Epicurean Hypothesis? Who used it as a weakness for the teleological argument?
Epicurean Hypothesis = It is possible for the universe to appear to be ordered but be the result of randomness
Weakness
What is Swinburne’s quote that supports Occam’s Razor and both the cosmological and teleological arguments?
“Simplicity is always evidence for truth.”
Which Bible verse is Process Theology based on?
Genesis 1:2 - ‘WAS without form and void’ versus ‘BEING without form and void’
What is the difference between soul-making and soul-deciding? Who came up with each?
Hick’s soul-making = humans are created imperfect so they can grow and develop the likeness of God
Augustine’s soul-deciding = humans decide their own fate by exercising their free will
How did Aquinas argue we should describe God?
Aquinas’ analogical argument: you cannot link parts use analogies to describe God so long as you abide by the analogy of attribution (healthy body = healthy urine) + analogy of proportionality (God = MORE powerful)
Who said “God dies the death of a thousand qualifications”?
Flew
Who authored the parable of the gardener?
Flew
Give a quote by Wittgenstein
“Don’t think; look!”
“Whereof we cannot speak we must remain silent.”
