Theories of God
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Theories of God
If man did not exist, there have been no God problem. The problem really is that man exists and he wants to know why.
Friedrich Nietzsches ominous proclamation that “God is dead” and after his own death himself, the God problem persisted over the years of philosophical speculation.
Nangagsipatay na ang mga pantas na nagsabing “patay na ang Diyos”, subalit buhay na buhay pa rin ang problema tungkol sa Diyos.
Theism
Theism is understood as a belief in a personal God as the creator and supreme ruler of the universe, who transcends his creation but works in and through it in revealing himself to men.
It is also regarded as an a priori demonstration because it is prior to experience.
Ontological Arguments
Anselmian Version
St. Anselm- an Italian Franciscan who was popularly known as Archbishop of Canterbury
– originator of the ontological argument for the existence of God and one of the foremost figures of medieval theology
Faith according to him is the starting point of mans search fro truth, for unless one believes, one cannot understand.
God is that than which no greater can be thought. Ang Diyos ay siyang pinakadakila na maaaring isipin.
No greater can be thought must exist, not only mentally, in idea, but also extramentally.
The argument begins with the idea of God as the greatest being, the idea which a man has of God, even if one denies his existence.
If God is conceived as the greatest being, it necessarily follows that He exists.
For a being to be the greatest one, existence must be one of its attributes, otherwise it cannot be the greatest.
In Anselms view, Gods existence necessarily follows from his greatness or perfection. Therefore, being that than which no greater being can be thought, God exists.
Cartesian Version
Rene Descartes version- The fact that I doubt means that I exist, for unless I exist I cannot doubt.
Since I doubt, I am imperfect; for if I were perfect, I would no longer doubt.
Despite the fact that I am imperfect, as evidenced by doubt, I have an idea of perfect being.
Only a perfect being existing