In the actual world i am writing up this blog post, but i could have decided instead to go pour myself a scotch. A more recent ontological argument came from kurt godel, who proposed a formal argument for gods existence. In what follows, i shall be concerned with some of the comments made by alvin plantinga on a version of the ontological argument for the existence of god in chapters two and three of his workgod and other minds cornell. This essay critically examines plantinga s modal version. His modal ontological argument for foundational religious necessity is seen as an almost. His contributions returned the exploration of religious. Alvin plantinga, born in 1932, is a philosopher and has been a professor at both calvin university and the university of notre dame. He is credited with formulating the most robust and wellrespected response to the logical problem of evil. Ontological arguments are arguments, for the conclusion that god exists, from premises which are supposed to derive from some source other than observation of the worlde. Of course christians may disagree, at least in emphasis, as to how to think of god.
They try to gain objective meaning from an entirely subjective word, and fail because of it. Ontological arguments stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Guminski examines the modal ontological argument based upon possible worlds semantics expounded by alvin plantinga and further developed and defended by william lane craig. Alvin plantinga s modal version is perhaps the most notable example. God, freedom, and evil alvin plantinga free download as pdf file. Ontological arguments for the existence of god alvin plantinga the ontological argument simplified lynne rudder baker and gareth b. As is typically done, we might think of a possible world as a complete way that things might have been. A critique of the plantinga version of the modal ontological argument 2016 by arnold t. Alvin carl plantinga is an american analytic philosopher, the john a. In the actual world i am writing up this blog post, but i could have decid. The ontological argument for the existence of god has enjoyed a recent. The book draws upon the authors prior works, the nature of necessity and god and other minds. Alvin plantinga the ontological argument page 315 1.
Plantingas argument is a defense against the logical problem of evil as formulated by the philosopher j. Plantingas free will defense project gutenberg self. An explicit contradiction, says plantinga, is a conjunctive proposition, one conjunct of which is the denial or negation of the other conjunct. Click download or read online button to get ontological arguments and belief in god book now. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. That is, he argues that god would have, if he could have, created a world with only significantly free creatures who always act morally. Ontological arguments for the existence of god, first discovered by st. An introduction to alvin plantingas modal ontological.
He is best known for his work in christian apologetics. Alvin plantingas most popular book is god, freedom, and evil. God freedom and evil alvin plantinga 1 book free pdf god freedom and evil alvin plantinga pdf god freedom and evil alvin plantinga when people should go to the books stores, search initiation by shop, shelf by shelf, it is truly problematic. From 1963 to 1982, plantinga taught at calvin college before accepting an appointment as the john a. It is possible that a maximally great being exists. Feb 09, 2018 the modal ontological argument center for philosophy of religion. Pdf alvin plantinga declared in 1983 that classical foundationalism had collapsed. The author concludes that while the argument is probably. Supralapsarianism, or o felix culpa alvin plantinga.
Alvin plantinga has 32 books on goodreads with 976 ratings. Plantinga on the free will defense hugh lafollette. Alvin carl plantinga born 1932 is an american analytic philosopher who works primarily in the fields of philosophy of religion, epistemology particularly on issues involving epistemic justification, and logic from 1963 to 1982, plantinga taught at calvin university before accepting an appointment as the john a. Alvin plantinga and theistic personalism thelycaeum. Buy a cheap copy of god, freedom, and evil book by alvin plantinga.
God, freedom, and evil kindle edition by plantinga. Books by alvin plantinga author of god, freedom, and evil. Plantinga and taylor did a fine job compiling parts of famous philosophical works that reflect the ontological argument, both for and against it. The third theistic argument i wish to discuss is the famous ontological argument first formulated by anselm of canterbury in the eleventh century. Today, well begin with alvin plantinga s modal ontological argument for god. Most forms of the ontological argument rely on the premise that existence is greater than nonexistence, or that necessary existence is greater than conditional existence. The ontological argument for the existence of god was developed by anselm in the 12th century. Plantinga is widely known for his work in philosophy of religion, epistemology, metaphysics and christian apologetics.
What was particularly intetesting was seeing alvin plantinga s rebuttal of the argument he would later come to support, although only after tweaking it which i think has really transormed it and is the most convincing form of it that ive ever read. Anselm, plantinga and the ontological argument springerlink. After dealing with objections to the ac model in ch. Contemporary defenders of the ontological argument include alvin plantinga, william alston. A critique of the plantinga version of the modal ontological. Below are short, animated videos on philosopher alvin plantinga s most important contributions to the philosophy of religion. Has plantinga buried mackies logical argument from evil. Oct 21, 2016 plantinga s fundamental error is in assuming that philosophy is about things. What is plantingas free will defense, and how does it address the problem of evil. An introduction to alvin plantingas modal ontological argument. Kants objections, plantinga s reply gregory robson, duke university i.
Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. Obrien professor of philosophy emeritus at the university of notre dame and the inaugural holder of the jellema chair in philosophy at calvin college. Nonetheless, plantinga s version has generated much interest and discussion. Is the modal ontological argument for god a sound proof. An ontological argument is a philosophical argument for the existence of god that uses. Plantinga readily accepts 1, 3, 4 and 5, but rejects 2. God exists in the understanding but not in reality. I shall, in the course of this paper, talk of the instantiation of properties in particular ways or forms on particular occasions. William lane craig presents plantinga s argument as 2. Norman malcolm revived the ontological argument in 1960 when he located a second, stronger ontological argument in anselms work. Original german text available online, 628 kb pdf file, maintained by alain. In his discussion of natural theology arguments to prove the existence of god and natural atheology arguments for the falsehood of theistic belief plantinga focuses on two of the traditional arguments. William lane craig considers alvin plantinga s version of the ontological argument as having the best chance of being cogent wlc 2004, p. Alvin carl plantinga born 1932 is an american analytic philosopher who works primarily in the fields of philosophy of religion, epistemology particularly on issues involving epistemic justification, and logic.
Alvin plantinga s free will defense is a logical argument developed by the american analytic philosopher alvin plantinga and published in its final version in his 1977 book god, freedom, and evil. This is why we allow the books compilations in this website. I come into the departmental office and announce to the chairman that. Below are short, animated videos on philosopher alvin plantingas most important contributions to the philosophy of religion. In other words, ontological arguments are arguments from what are typically alleged to be none but analytic, a priori and necessary premises to the. T his is a collection of philosophical papers by alvin plantinga. Alvin plantinga is wellknown as one of the most important christian philosophers of our day. What is plantingas free will defense, and how does it.
If, in an identical proposition, we reject the predicate while retaining the subject. In the 20th century, malcolm, hartshorne, plantinga and godel. Other characteristics on which the goodness of a world depends would be the. Pdf what kind of classical foundationalism has plantinga. Plantingas version of the ontological argument the temple. The ontological argument for the existence of god genius.
Nov 21, 2019 god, freedom, and evil alvin plantinga details trove. Alvin plantingas free will defense is a logical argument developed by the american analytic philosopher alvin plantinga and published in its final version in his 1977 book god, freedom, and evil. Reason and belief in god alvin plantinga belief in god is the heart and center of the christian religion as it is of judaism and islam. Over his 50 years of research, plantinga refuted the logical problem of evil as an argument against the existence of god and identified compatibilities between rationality and religious belief. This book discusses and exemplifies the philosophy of religion, or philosophical reflection on central. Plantinga reformulated it in terms of the possible worlds semantics. God, freedom and evil discusses and exemplifies philosophy of religion or philosophical reflection on central themes of religion. Plantinga developed his modal version of the ontological argument for the existence of god in his two controversial books, the nature of necessity 1974.
His ontological argument for god uses the logical notion of. Alvin plantingas modal version is perhaps the most. In the second half, plantinga briefly introduces the cosmological argument and the teleological argument, and then spends the rest of the book on the ontological argument. No philosophical argument for the existence of god, can be initiated with a definition of god, because. Kants objection 8 the most famous and important objection to the ontological argument is contained in immanuel kants critique of pure reason. What kind of classical foundationalism has plantinga refuted. Plantinga the ontological argument pushme press philosophy. This book so small that you can fit it in your back pocket. Plantinga is one of the most respected and influential philosophers today. Davis claremont mckenna college alvin plantinga is one of the top christian philosophers in the world today. What is the best refutation of plantingas modal ontological. Ontological argument for the gods existence internet.
Obrien professor of philosophy emeritus at the university of notre dame and has written groundbreaking books on the problem of evil, god and science, and philosophical. The ontological argument kenneth einar himma modal versions of the ontological argument william rowe. Ontological arguments are arguments, for the conclusion that god exists, from. Themes from richard swinburne, bergmann and brower, eds. If it is possible that a maximally great being exists, then a maximally great being exists in some possible world. Plantinga s father was a philosophy teacher, and encouraged him to leave high school a year early and enroll in college. In the first half on natural atheology, he addresses the socalled problem of evil, while part 2 addresses very briefly aquinas cosmological argument and paleys teleological argument, followed by a more indepth look at anselms ontological argument. Alvin plantinga is regarded as one of the foremost religious philosophers of the contemporary era. Alvin plantinga s modal ontological s argument is a irrefutable logical argument for the existence of god. Jan 17, 2009 perhaps the most challenging formulation of the argument is presented today by alvin plantinga. These ideas transformed how those within philosophy and the surrounding culture understood theism the belief in a divine reality or god. Consequently, the modal ontological argument is a logical argument, but not an ontological argument in the sense of having any existential relevance. Alvin plantinga is held by many to be the greatest living christian philosopher, and has made immense contributions to various areas of.
Ontological arguments are logical deductions that prove a theorem that is compossible with theism, with premises that are independent of observation. His father, cornelius, was then a philosophy graduate student at the university of michigan. In contrast, the ontological arguments are conceptual in roughly the following. Plantinga s argument is a defense against the logical problem. An introduction to alvin plantinga s modal ontological argument. Articles 2016 law, cause, and occasionalism, in reason and faith. Thus, a being that is omniscient lacks the ability to create free beings and is. There are also the claims that crucial christian doctrinestrinity, incarnation, or atonement, for. I have to say, i think several of the objections presented against the ontological argument basically miss the mark. Here, plantinga attempted to use the philosophical concept of possible worlds to show the necessary nature of gods existence. Hence, ontological arguments are regarded as a priori arguments. Keywords john mackie alvin plantinga logical argument from evil problem of evil in evil and omnipotence 1955 mackie famously argues that the three beliefs 1 god is infinitely powerful, 2 god is wholly good, and 3 evil exists, are inconsistent, and in so. Anselm to contemporary philosophers alvin plantinga, richard taylor on.
For a critical account of verificationism see plantinga, god and other minds, chap. Jan 07, 2012 alvin plantinga s modal ontological s argument is a irrefutable logical argument for the existence of god. Reassessing plantingas ontological argument for god. However, plantingas version seems to avoid this it doesnt, though. Also included is an appendix containing plantinga s often referred to, but previously unpublished, lecture notes entitled two dozen or so theistic arguments, with a substantial preface to the appendix written by plantinga specifically for this volume. David naugle introduction should the expression religious knowledge be framed in ironic quotation marks, and rightly considered oxymoronic, something akin to the expression military intelligence. Alvin plantinga challenged this argument and proposed an alternative, based on modal logic. Plantinga on the free will defense 125 tological proof, the atheist can, as even plantinga admits, successfully revise 2 to say. Alvin plantinga is held by many to be the greatest living christian philosopher, and has made immense contributions to various areas of philosophy, including logic, epistemology, and the philosophy of religion.
God, freedom, and evil alvin plantinga download bok. This essay critically examines plantinga s rendition, uncovering both its strengths and weaknesses. Ontological arguments and belief in god download ebook. Obrien professor of philosophy at the university of notre dame. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Alvin plantinga s version of the free will defense 1 is an attempt to refute the logical problem of evil, the argument that to posit the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent god in an evil world constitutes a logical contradiction. God, freedom and evil is a short work, originally published in the mid1970s, wherein plantinga addresses issues pertaining to the existence of god. The author concludes that while the argument is probably formally valid, it is ultimately unsound. A classic work in the philosophy of religion, plantinga s god, freedom, and evil is the single most influential text on the problem of evil in the past fifty years. God, freedom, and evil alvin plantinga details trove. On plantinga s ontological argument by darrin at 1172009 one of the most curious arguments for the existence of god has been presented by st.
Alvin plantinga famously defends a version of the ontological argument that makes use of the notion of possible worlds. The ontological argument for the existence of god has enjoyed a recent renaissance among philosophers of religion. What is really characteristic and critical to the free will defense is this claim that god, though. The god of the old testament is arguably the most unpleasant. This argument for the existence of god has fascinated philosophers ever since anselm first stated it.
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