Using the dialectic method and with the support of citations, argue for against one of the following authors on the topic associated: Aquinas on God, Anselm on God, Paley on God (vs. Hume), Mackie against God (Problem of Evil Argument), Mill's Utilitarianism, or Kantian Ethics.
In a second document I will break down Mill and Kant. What follows is a breakdown -take it or leave it - of the God arguments.
A citation is not necessarily a quote. If you quote, discuss the quote.
Take an argument of Mackie, Anselm, Aquinas, or Paley, present it, then evaluate it in the same manner as with other dialectic essays. Pay close attention to the format , consulting my Dialectic essay handouts. Feel free to cite not only the author whose argument you have chosen, but the opponent of that author's position. Notice that for each of the authors, there is an opponent; they
are paired off that way in the text.
Anselm also has a built in opponent, Gaunilon, written into his selection in dialog form.
Below I give you synoptic accounts of the arguments.
Problem of Evil Argument (Mackie):
God does not exist, because if he did, then the world would not have superfluous evil in it. But in fact it does. God is supposedly all knowing, all powerful, and all good. Having these traits seems to rule out allowing superfluous evil.
Anselm: God exists by definition, because the claim that God does not exist is a contradiction:
"The necessarily existent being does not exist".
Defining God as necessarily existent is fair, because that is exactly what people are thinking of when they are thinking of God. And it is not a non-sensical notion.
Aquinas's causal argument (especially characterized by his "Third Way"):
The world exists.
The world's existence requires an existing explanatory principle that cannot be found in the world.
Therefore (subconclusion) the world requires an existing explanatory principle that exists out side the world.
The only thing that could exist outside the world is God.
Therefore, God exists.
Definition: the world is the collection of finite or limited beings.
Definition: God is the unlimited being.
Design argument (Paley)
Things in the world have infinitely intricate detail.
Infinitely intricate detail cannot be by coincidence.
Therefore (subconslusion) infinitely intricate detail must be by design.
The only thiong that could design inifinitely intricate detail is an infinite designer.
An infinite designer would have to be the unlimited being, God.
Therefore, God exists.
Make sure you pick out the premises and conclusion of these arguments.
Some of these have been stated discursively, conclusion first. Others have been stated schematically, conclusion last.