Arguments from Reason

• The Ontological Argument: Anselm, deductive analytic argument.

  P1 - God is that of which nothing greater can be concieved.

  P2 - Things exist either in the mind alone or in the mind and reality.
• Descarte's Argument:

  P1 - God is supremely perfect.

  P2 - Existence in itself is perfection.

  C - God exists as it is perfection to exist and God is supremely perfect.
• Platinga's Argument:

  P1 - There is a possible world with a being of ultimate greatness.

  P2 - Maximal greatness involves all worlds.

  P3 - Our world is a possible world.

  C - This being (God) exists in our world.
• Malcolm's Argument:

  P1 - God's existence is either necessary or impossible.

  P2 - God's existence is not impossible.

  C - God's existence must be necessary.
• Criticisms: Existence is not predicate (essential) to a being, Platinga plays absurd logical tricks - possible island, there isn't an agreed definition of God - can't fully know if we are right in assuming he is 'supremely perfect' or has 'maximal greatness'