Perhaps one might resolve to use the label ontological argument for any argument which gets classified as an ontological argument by its proponents. I have to say, i think several of the objections presented against the ontological argument basically miss the mark. Plantinga and the ontological argument springerlink. This book so small that you can fit it in your back pocket. It furthers the universitys objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. The ontological argument peter millican any argument which attempts to prove gods existence a priori based only on his nature can be termed an ontological argument. He begins with a premise he thinks can be plausible to someone a priori. The second part of the book is plantinga s presentation of the ontological argument for the existence of god. Ontological arguments stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Kants refutation of the ontological argument, though i believe that. Professor malcolm believes that in anselms proslogion and.
In this paper, my goal is to lay out the contours of plantinga s. Formulation of the argument the ontological argument notoriously comes in countless ver sions. Here, plantinga attempted to use the philosophical concept of possible worlds to show the necessary nature of gods existence. Historically, however, the term is inextricably associated with the famous argument presented in anselms proslogion chapter ii, and with. As is typically done, we might think of a possible world as a complete way that things might have been. Original german text available online, 628 kb pdf file, maintained by alain. Plantinga s treatment is marked by an intriguing turn in god and other minds 12 he examines a number of variants of the argument and concludes that they arc one and all unsuccessful. Ontological argument ontology study of being anselms first version if, therefore, that than which greater cannot be thought exists in thought alone, then that than which greater cannot be thought turns out to be that than which something greater actually can be thought, but that is. Plantinga developed his modal version of the ontological argument for the existence.
The form of the argument is that of a reductio ad absurdum argument. Ontological arguments for the existence of god alvin plantinga the ontological argument simplified lynne rudder baker and gareth b. Plantinga developed his modal version of the ontological argument for the existence of god in his two controversial books, the nature of necessity 1974. I shall, in the course of this paper, talk of the instantiation of properties in particular ways or forms on particular occasions. The comments made by alvin plantinga on a version of the ontological argument. In this paper i argue, against plantinga and others, that kants claim is indeed relevant to anselms argument. Alvin plantinga famously defends a version of the ontological argument that makes use of the notion of possible worlds. In this paper i examine the modal ontological argument based upon possible worlds semantics expounded by alvin plantinga pmoa, and as further developed and defended by william lane craig. The ontological argument for the existence of god has enjoyed a recent renaissance. Ontological arguments are arguments, for the conclusion that god exists, from premises. An analysis of plantingas response to the ontological. Graham oppy oup plantinga constructs an ontological argument using twentieth century developments in modality. God, freedom, and evil kindle edition by plantinga. No philosophical argument for the existence of god, can be initiated with a definition of god, because god is not within human experience.
Contemporary philosophers such as charles hartshorne, norman malcolm, and alvin plantinga, have utilized modal logic to develop new versions of the on tological argument. Anselm, plantinga and the ontological argument springerlink. The relevance of kants objection to anselms ontological. Attempts have also been made to validate anselms proof using an automated theorem prover. The ontological argument kenneth einar himma modal versions of the ontological argument william rowe. Ontological argument project gutenberg selfpublishing. Reassessing plantingas ontological argument for god. Pdf plantinga, hartshorne, and the ontological argument. For, in my judgment, there is no presentation of the ontological argument that is as carefully developed, forceful, and clear as plantinga s formulation and discussion of the argument on 3 ibid.
Norman malcolm revived the ontological argument in 1960 when he located a second, stronger ontological argument in anselms work. His father, cornelius, was then a philosophy graduate student at the university of michigan. I wish to discuss professor malcolms absorbingly powerful defense of a version of anselms ontological proof for the existence of god. Plantingas modal ontological argument includes many of the aspects of anselms original argument but includes various additions and changes. The argument from natural numbers1 tyron goldschmidt 1. We shall confine our attention to one of the arguments that can, with some plausibility, be extracted from chapter ii of the proslogionnot the only one, but the one i take to be both sim plest and soundest. Oxford university press is a department of the university of oxford. Anselms ontological argument for the existence of god anselms argument is an a priori argument. Ao1 a examine the ontological argument for the existence. Plantingas defence of the ontological argument mind.
Kane and others published the modal ontological argument find. Plantinga, hartshorne, and the ontological argument. Maydole ontological arguments are deductive arguments for the existence of god from general metaphysical principles and other assumptions about the nature or essence of god. Plantinga basically uses a possible world analysis. Is the modal ontological argument for god a sound proof. Kants refutation of the ontological argument, though i believe that his criticism is mistaken. Many arguments fall under the category of the ontological, and they tend to involve arguments about the state of being or existing. Revision outline for the ontological argument ao1 a examine the ontological argument for the existence of god.
I shall dispute plantingas contention that his argument can be used to show that belief in god is not con. Alvin plantinga challenged this argument and proposed an alternative, based on modal logic. This procedure would make good sense if one thought that there is a natural kind ontological arguments which our practice carves out, but for which is hard to specify defining. Yet many people seem to have a hard time understanding it. An ontological argument is a philosophical argument for the existence of god that uses ontology. How saint thomas solved the kantian problem article pdf available in religious studies 3101.
Anselm, but i find it even more obviously tautological. Contemporary defenders of the ontological argument include alvin plantinga, william alston and william lane craig. More specifically, ontological arguments tend to start with an a priori theory about the organization of the universe. Plantinga s ontological argument alvin plantinga famously defends a version of the ontological argument that makes use of the notion of possible worlds. Anselms ontological argument for the existence of god. If that organizational structure is true, the argument will provide reasons. Ontological arguments for the existence of god, first discovered by st. In chapter 10 of his book, the nature of necessity,1 alvin plantinga con tends that. In the actual world i am writing up this blog post.
More specifically, ontological arguments tend to start with a priori theory about the organization of the universe. Plantingas ontological argument persuasive because recursion of definition of maximal greatness and modal axiom of transworld impossibility skip to main content skip to main menu skip to breadcrumbs exploring a rational approach to knowledge and life. Some, most notably alvin plantinga, have even judged kants dictum to be totally irrelevant to anselms version of the ontological argument. In part a i set forth the definitions and premises of the. Alvin plantinga has produced an original and important study of the ontological argument. In what follows, i shall be concerned with some of the comments made by alvin plantinga on a version of the ontological argument for the existence of god in chapters two and three of his workgod and other minds cornell. Plantinga has expressed a modal logic version of the ontological argument in which he uses modal logic to develop, in a more rigorous and formal way, norman malcolms and charles hartshornes modal ontological arguments. On plantinga s ontological argument by darrin at 1172009 one of the most curious arguments for the existence of god has been presented by st.
Plantingas defence of the ontological argument oxford academic. The existence of an unbeatable sorcerer is not only false, it is necessarily false. Thus, keeping the ontological argument alive for 900 years. Here, plantinga is it seems to me far less persuasive. It moves through logical stages to reach a conclusion. Leibnizs ontological proof of the existence of god and. Introduction the preface to alvin plantingas two dozen or so theistic arguments warns that as the arguments are set out there they arent really good arguments. Pdf a critique of the plantinga version of the modal. Leibnizs ontological proof of the existence of god and the problem of. His modal version of the argument is in some ways more refined than the classic version of st. What was particularly intetesting was seeing alvin plantinga s rebuttal of the argument he would later come to support, although only after tweaking it which i think has really transormed it and is the most convincing form of it that ive ever read. Guminski examines the modal ontological argument based upon possible worlds semantics expounded by alvin plantinga and further developed and defended by william lane craig.
An ontological argument is a philosophical argument for the existence of god that uses. If that organizational structure is true, the argument will provide reasons why god must exist. William lane craig considers alvin plantinga s version of the ontological argument as having the best chance of being cogent wlc 2004, p. Many arguments fall under the category of the ontological, but they tend to involve arguments about the state of being or existing. Plantinga joshua rasmussen forthcoming in ontological arguments, ed. Consequently, the modal ontological argument is a logical argument, but not an ontological argument in the sense of having any existential relevance. Plantinga and taylor did a fine job compiling parts of famous philosophical works that reflect the ontological argument, both for and against it. Obrien professor of philosophy emeritus at notre dame university i give two arguments against materialism. Malcolms argument has been controversial, however, and charles hartshorne has produced a formal, refined version of it see sobel, logic and theism. Alvin plantingas modal ontologicals argument is a irrefutable logical argument for the existence of god. A critique of the plantinga version of the modal ontological argument 2016 by arnold t.
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