The Phenomenological Argument For The Existence Of God

This work examines the contribution of Husserlian and post-Husserlian phenomenology to Hegel's ontological argument. It represents an alternative approach to the question of the existence of God in that it combines two schools of thought generally considered incompatible. The fundamental question with which Hegel struggled - can one infer the existence of the infinite from the existence of the finite - receives important philosophical contributions from latter-day phenomenology.

Approaching God explores the ways in which phenomenology, metaphysics and theological enquiry can throw light upon each other. This is a matter of great interest and importance to the future of philosophical theology and the philosophy of religion. What, if anything, has philosophical reflection about God to contribute to Christian theology? And if indeed philosophy plays a positive role in theological reflection-what kind of philosophy? The first-person philosophical perspective of phenomenology or the objective philosophical perspective of metaphysics? Masterson devotes three chapters to, respectively, phenomenological, metaphysical, and theological approaches to God. Each are seen as animated by a first principle from which a comprehensive account of everything is said to follow-'Human Consciousness' in the case of phenomenology; 'Being' in the case of metaphysics; and 'God' in the case of theology. Although philosophers and theologians such as Ricoeur, Levinas, Kearney, Caputo, and Barth are considered briefly, Approaching God essentially provides a dialogue about theological and theistic issues between the phenomenological approach of the leading French Christian phenomenologist Jean-Luc Marion and the realist metaphysical approach of Aquinas. Masterson maintains that all three approaches are needed in trying to speak appropriately about God-they are irreducible but complementary.

In Consciousness and the Existence of God , JP Morelandargues that the existence of finite, irreducible consciousness (or its regular, law-like correlation with physical states) provides evidence for the existence of God. Considering Searle's contingent correlation, O'Connor's emergent necessitation, and Nagel's mysterian "naturalism," Moreland concludes that these versions of naturalism should be rejected in favor of what he calls"the Argument from Consciousness."

Richard Swinburne presents a substantially rewritten and updated edition of his most celebrated book. No other work has made a more powerful case for the probability of the existence of God. Swinburne gives a rigorous and penetrating analysis of the most important arguments for theism: the cosmological argument; arguments from the existence of laws of nature and the 'fine-tuning' of the universe; from the occurrence of consciousness and moral awareness; and from miracles and religious experience. He claims that while none of these arguments are deductively valid, they do give inductive support to theism and that, even when the argument from evil is weighed against them, taken together they offer good grounds to support the probability that there is a God. The overall structure of the discussion and its conclusion have been retained for this new edition, but much has been changed in order to strengthen the argumentation and to take account of Swinburne's subsequent work on the nature of consciousness and the problem of evil, and of the latest philosophical and scientific writing, especially in respect of the laws of nature and the argument from fine-tuning. This is now the definitive version of a classic in the philosophy of religion.

Does God exist? What are the various arguments that seek to prove the existence of God? Can atheists refute these arguments? The Existence of God: A Philosophical Introduction assesses classical and contemporary arguments concerning the existence of God: the ontological argument, introducing the nature of existence, possible worlds, parody objections, and the evolutionary origin of the concept of God the cosmological argument, discussing metaphysical paradoxes of infinity, scientific models of the universe, and philosophers’ discussions about ultimate reality and the meaning of life the design argument, addressing Aquinas’s Fifth Way, Darwin’s theory of evolution, the concept of irreducible complexity, and the current controversy over intelligent design and school education. Bringing the subject fully up to date, Yujin Nagasawa explains these arguments in relation to recent research in cognitive science, the mathematics of infinity, big bang cosmology, and debates about ethics and morality in light of contemporary political and social events. The book also includes fascinating insights into the passions, beliefs and struggles of the philosophers and scientists who have tackled the challenge of proving the existence of God, including Thomas Aquinas, and Kurt Gödel - who at the end of his career as a famous mathematician worked on a secret project to prove the existence of God. The Existence of God: A Philosophical Introduction is an ideal gateway to the philosophy of religion and an excellent starting point for anyone interested in arguments about the existence of God.

Man's concern about God is both a question and a quest. We seek to know with certainty that God is real; we seek also to draw near to God, to know that He is really for us. My aim in this work is to re-think this two-fold concern and to do so with Gabriel Marcel. Throughout the work I have combined the presentation of Marcel's views with a critical examination of his thought, and in the spirit in which Marcel meets his own predecessors and contemporaries I have held myself free to accept, to amend or to reject what he has written. Thus the focus of the work is only incidentally on the writings of Marcel; the direct focus, as for Marcel, is on man's seeking to know and to draw near to God. The effort to re-think that dimension of our experience which we designate religious cannot begin apart from a critical consideration of what we mean by knowledge and certainty. What will count as an answer to the question of whether God is real and whether He is really for us? If, as the believer maintains, God is the answer to man - an answer wholly unlike every other answer - then the method of searching for this answer must be different from other methods of searching. Furthermore, even for the believer, God remains the hidden God, Deus absconditus, and at best we see through a glass darkly.

Discussions about existence have generally come through the subject of philosophy. The thinking and thoughts about God's existence are well documented. Both sides of the standard arguments for God's existence have been presented. Current thinking has turned to evolutionary concepts that deny God exists or claims that God is a mere impersonal force. However, the time has come for a fresh look into how man can know of God's existence. A Conversaunt Existence is just such a look. Changes have been made to the standard arguments for God's existence. New avenues of thought have been incorporated to corroborate these changes. There are reasons for directing our thoughts toward God's existing: First, it's foolish to let others steer one's thinking into denying God's existence. Ultimately, God wants everyone to respond to His invitation, accept His lifesaving and life-giving message, and participate in writing His story. KIRKUS REVIEW A short treatise on existence with an emphasis on the existence of God. Nelson harkens back to a premodern era by using the archaic word "conversaunt" in place of "conversant" in his title. In doing so, he honors the fact that humankind has always experienced existence as a common form of knowledge. Nelson's work, though deeply philosophical in content, is meant from the beginning to have a personal impact on the reader and not just be merely theoretical in nature. Moreover, his overarching goal is to demonstrate the existence of a personal and involved God. Such authors as C.S. Lewis and Soren Kierkegaard help lead the way. In order to show that the human race is capable of understanding and even connecting with a God figure, Nelson coins a new term intercomplexicate which describes a self-consciousness that is able to make quick evaluations of complex ideas, leading to moral understanding. The author discusses both the strengths and weaknesses of ontological arguments for God's existence and also attempts to disprove popular scientific arguments against the existence of a deity. The idea of contingency (that existence can only occur due to a prior cause) is of great importance in later chapters, as Nelson argues that existence must be contingent on a "necessary being," such as a primary mover or first cause. In closing, the author provides a case not merely for a creator ("watchmaker") God, but for a personal God who continues to be involved with creation. Nelson has a penchant for mixing theoretical and philosophical verbiage with nonstandard language (such as using "by da vey" instead of "by the way" or comparing God with Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation). He seems to be seeking a balance between the often opaque material he presents and the personal effect he hopes to have on readers. This balance, unfortunately, is rarely found. Nevertheless, Nelson provides sound arguments worthy of further reflection. Review questions after each chapter are helpful for guiding and focusing the reader. A thoughtful, refreshing argument for God's existence.

The latter third of the 20th century has seen the philosophical defence of theism - many philosophers were caught off-guard because they assumed that metaphysics and theology had been dealt with. Moreover, the leaders of this renaissance were analytically-rooted philosophers. Upon examination however, it is clear that significant developments in philosophical theism historically have come upon the heels of breakthroughs in the core areas of philosophy concerning meaning, logic and scientific methodology - cornerstones of analytic philosophy. This volume attempts to document this golden era of analytical theism.