Platingas

• Alvin Platinga, 1900s, harvard and yale. Argues that for some belief in god is fundamental and basic, and therefore does not require validation from something else.
• 'reformed epistemology' - plantingas term. Is idea that a belief in god can be rational and justified without the need for arguments for gods existance.
• Basic form of plantinga's argument:

  It is possible god exists, so god exists in some possible worlds, if he exists in some possible worlds god exists in all possible worlds, so god exists in actual world, so god exists.

  this doesnt make sence initially.
• Possible world - a hypothetical situation, a way to test an idea to see if it is logical through aking if something could exist in a world like our own.
• 3 ways beings can be defined - impossible, contingent, necessary.
• Impossible being - exists in no possible worlds. Eg a square circle.
• Contingent beings - exists in some possible worlds. Eg a unicorn.
• Necessary - has to exist in all possible worlds. Eg shape definitions.
• Plantinga uses same definition of god as a 'maximally great being (MGB)'. Platinga says a MGB would possess all qualities that are greater to have to their maximal extent.
• Platinga MGB definition cont: 'great making properties' (eg love, necessity). and no 'lesser making properties' (Eg corruption).
• Platinga basic argument with necessary beings: possible that a MGB exists; a MGB exists in some possible worlds; so MGB exists in all possible worlds as it is necessary; MGB exists in actual world and god exists.
• Main way to debunk plantinga's argument is through disproving the possibility of a necessary being.
• Criticism: 'omnipotence paradox' - can god create a stone so heavy even he cant move it? either answer suggests god is not omnipotent.
• Defence against omnipotence paradox - the question is a logical absurdity. it cannot be answered in any possible world. Omnipotence means greater than anything else, not the ability to do the logically impossible.