Philosophy of religion Theme 1

• A posteriori


  a statement that is based on actual observation, evidence, experimental date or experience - relates to inductive reasoning
• Cosmology


  The study of the origins of the universe
• Cosmological and teleological arguments


  two examples of inductive arguments that use the evidence of, and within, the universe to attempt to prove the existence of the God of Classical Theism
• Empirically


  using knowledge gained through the experiences of any of the five senses
• Inductive proof


  argument constructed on evidence and/or experience that puts forward a possible conclusion based on these
• Actuality


  when something is in its fully realised state
• Efficient cause


  the 'third party' that moves potentiality to actuality
• Potentiality


  the ability to be able to become something else
• Contingent


  anything that depends on something else (in the case of a contingent being - it is contingent upon another being for its existence, e.e.g a child is contingent upon its parent.)
• Intermediate cause


  this refers to a cause that relies on something else to have triggered it (remember the 2nd domino in the line)
• Necessary being


  Aquinas' contention that a non-contingent being is necessary for contingent beings to exist. It is the necessary being that is the source of all existence for all other contingent beings
• Ultimate cause


  in the sense of Aquinas' writings, this is the end cause in the sequence that could not have occurred had there not been preceding efficient and intermediate causes (think about this as the penultimate domino int he line to fall)
• Actual infinite


  something that is actually infinite in extent or in extent of the operations performed - it literally has no beginning and no end
• Temporal


  things relating to time
• Potential infinite


  something that could continue on, were effort to be applied, e.g. it would be possible to always continue a number line if we wanted to.
• Telos


  the 'end', 'goal', or 'purpose' of something; a term frequently found in Aristotle's philosophy
• Anthropic


  related to being human
• Natural world


  the world of nature, comprising of all objects, organic and inorganic
• Aesthetic


  related to the concept and appreciate of beauty
• Fallacy of composition


  philosophical notion that what is true of the parts is not necessarily true of the whole
• God of Classical Theism


  the God that is generally associated with the Western monotheistic religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism
• Darwin


  Presented the theory of natural selection
• Enlightenment


  A movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason
• "The universe just is"

  A quote from Russell
• Leibniz


  Presented the principle of Sufficient Reason
• Deductive proof


  A proof in which, if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true.
• Epistemic Distance


  A distance measured in terms of knowledge rather than space or time
• Intrinsic Maximum


  a term often associated in the context of the ontological argument with English Philosopher, Charles Dunbar Broad, to refer to the necessary properties of God -in that they must all possess this intrinsic maximum in order for the definition of God as the greatest possible being to be accurate.
• Ontological Argument


  argument for the existence of God based on the concept of the nature of being
• Perfection


  The complete absence of flaws also the ultimate state of a positive trait
• Proslogion


  A work written by Anselm, used as a meditation, but including within it the classical form of the ontological argument
• Reductio ad Absurdum


  an argument that shows a statement to be false or absurd it its logical conclusions were to be accepted
• Thaler


  Currency used in 18th Century Prussia.
• Anselm's definition of God


  That than which nothing greater can be conceived
• Descartes' definition of God

  supremely perfect being
• Malcolm's definition of God

  Unlimited being
• Gaunilo


  Wrote about the perfect island in 'On Behalf of the Fool
• The example of the Fool proves...

  God exists in intellectu
• Cartesian method of doubt


  Doubting all a posteriori knowledge
• Cogito Ergo Sum


  I think therefore I am