Theories Of Knowledge And Reality

THEORIES OF KNOWLEDGE AND REALITY Name Course 1. Explain the Ontological Argument as it is presented by St. Anselm. Saint Anselm of Canterbury was one of the most important Christian philosophers and is known for his ontological argument. Anselm stipulates that Christians believe the Lord to be something than which nothing greater can be conceived. Here he defined God as a being that nothing else greater, bigger or much superior can be thought of. He continued to state that this being, God, exists even in the minds of those people who deny his existence. In one way even non-believers lack explanations to some things and refer to their existence is as a result of a supernatural being. God who is this supernatural being that exists in minds must also exist in reality. 2. Explain the Cosmological Argument as it is presented by St. Aquinas After objections about God’s existence, Saint Aquinas formulated five ways, also known as cosmological arguments, which were aimed to prove that God exists. The first argument is based on change, St. Aquinas stipulated that there is a first cause of change and itself cannot be changed by anything, and this is understood by everybody to be God. The second proof is based on the nature of efficient causation, he emphasized that if there were no first efficient cause then there would not be a last and intermediary efficient cause. In this case, the first efficient cause is understood to be God. The third proof is based on possibility and necessity, the fact that in the world now something exists of necessity which is caused by something else, the series of necessary being cannot go back to infinity. This proves that something exists to cause necessity and this is known to be God. The fourth proof is based on gradations found in things, there are things which are considered to be better and noble than others and there are those that are of low quality. Besides, there is something which is maximally true and noble. Also, there is something which is the cause of goodness and perfection and is called God. The last proof is established on the world’s governance. All things act for a purpose and they are guided by something with intelligence and this thing is God. 3. Explain the Teleological Argument Established by William Paley the Teleological argument is also known as the intelligent design argument and it tries to show the presence or existence of God as an intelligent creator. He compares the world with a watch, he says that in a watch everything is put together for a reason. He stipulated that just like in a watch, the world was created by an artificer who comprehended its mechanism. The argument views the world as a creative fact which shows a vast display of intelligence. It pulls its evidence on the intelligent creatures from the structure of the world. How the natural world is designed deliberately and in a systematic way. The Teleological Argument places its evidence of the existence of God as an intelligent creator. 4. Explain Pascal’s Wager. Pascal Wager was a French philosopher and mathematician ...