Metaphysics

1
Metaphysics

• Weber State University
• Spring 2007
• PHIL 1000

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Metaphysics, what is it?

• Metaphysics the philosophic study of ultimate
  realty.
• Ontological Problems the study of being
• Philosophy of mind the study of the mind and
  body.
• Philosophy of religion the study of God
  related questions about such a Being
• Free will / determinism Are we free?

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Philosophy of Religion

• Does God exist?
• If God exists, then why is there so much evil in
  the world?
• Am I predestined to act in such-and-such a way?

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What kind of theisms are possible?

• Monotheism the claim that one God created the
  world and sustains it while transcending it.
• Polytheism the claim that more than one God
  created the world and sustains it while
  transcending it.
• Atheism the claim that a God or Gods neither
  created the world nor sustains it.

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Some examples

• Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are examples of
  monotheism e.g., YHWH, God, Allah.
• Ancient Greece and Rome were polytheistic
  cultures e.g., Zeus, Jupiter, Neptune, Poseidon.
• Buddhism is an example of atheism, even though
  its practitioners attempt to exemplify ethical
  ideals in the way they live.

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Arguments for Gods Existence

• How do we know that God exists?
• What kind of evidence is necessary for belief in
  Gods existence?

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The Evidence Factor

• Evidentialism belief in God must be supported
  by objective evidence.
• Nonevidentialism it is not rationally required
  to have objective, rational evidence for our
  basic belief in Gods existence.

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Who are the evidentialists?

• Natural theology provide proofs of Gods
  existence based on reason and experience alone.
• Atheists unless we have hard evidence for Gods
  existence, God does not exist.
• Agnostics objective evidence is necessary for
  Gods existence, but none is available.

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Who are the nonevidentialists?

• Personalists believe that objective arguments
  for Gods existence are ineffective or
  unnecessary while at the same time offer
  subjective or pragmatic considerations to move an
  individual in the direction of faith.
• Fideists religious belief depends solely on
  faith and cannot be justified by appeal to either
  objective or subjective reasons.