The existence of God
For this assignment, you will submit a 2-3 page (body only, standard border and font) paper on the topic selected for your group project. Once you have determined your topic, narrow down that topic to a particular subtopic or item of interest. A good way to narrow down your topic would be to identify some issue, concept, argument, or idea that you have learned from the topic on the basis of its interest to you. You might be interested in this subtopic because of some past experience or because it intrigues you intellectually, or perhaps because it provokes questions or criticisms from you. Whatever the reason for your interest in this subtopic, you should explore that subtopic in greater detail (using the readings and links provided or through any additional research). Once you have identified a subtopic or specific item of interest, begin to consider a thesis on that specific topic. A thesis can be a question that needs clarification, it can be a position on the topic in question, or it could be an observation about the nature of the topic (comparing positions or considering a specific application). In any case, the thesis is the core of the paper. In the paper, you will provide an argument that supports your thesis statement. Your paper should advance evidence and reasons in support of your thesis statement. For philosophy papers, evidence comes in two forms: 1) citations from primary or secondary sources, and 2) original arguments. When citing either primary or secondary sources, you need not only to repeat what these sources say, but you must also provide context and an interpretation that clearly links the evidence to your thesis. When providing original arguments, remember not to overstate your case (if you do, your argument may be susceptible to easy objections). Also, be sure to consider possible objections to your argument (especially those that come from the readings and links provided in the course). You will need to provide a works cited page with all relevant sources. You may use any standard citation form (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.). Your paper will be graded according to the following criteria: Thesis: the paper provides a clear, relevant, and insightful thesis statement. Argument: the paper provides sufficient, relevant, and accurate evidence in support of the thesis statement. This evidence is organized in a clear and convincing manner. Understanding: the author presents a fair and accurate interpretation of the topic with an awareness of various positions as well as the differences between them. Composition: the paper is written clearly, with minimal grammatical and spelling errors, and provides accurate and properly formatted citations.
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Nietzsche claimed that God is dead, though philosophical arguments can prove that there is existence of God. These are philosophical agreements, which are neither based on scientific facts nor religious scriptures. This topic does not talk about any particular religious deity, but uses the term God as omnipresent and perfect being. Some of these arguments are important intellectual exercises explaining more about the universe. This paper aims to present philosophical arguments to prove the existence of God.
First, St. Anselm presented a priori or an ontological argument, who viewed that human beings have an idea of an omnipotent and all-prefect being. God has all conceivable perfection that no any other being possesses. If this notion merely exists in the human mind, then this idea would be considered as less perfect than if the idea exists in actual sense. This would contradict God’s definition as an eternal being, who is all-perfect. Therefore, God has necessary existence. This a priori argument was defended by Rene Descartes, who claimed that, the idea about God is so big that no principle of distinct and clear perception and innate ideas can comprehend (Pihlstrom 483). Descartes claimed that since human beings have the notion about God, they have to come into a conclusion that an eternal and perfect being exists. Descartes argued that God’s existence is self-evident, logical and evident just like most fundamental mathematical truths.
Secondly, philosophers such as St. Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, and Plato defended the cosmological argument or the first cause argument. This conception depends on the idea that each event or action must have a cause. Such a cause is caused by another cause, which is also caused by another cause, and the list goes on and on. Seeskin says that believing that there is no end point of regression of what causes these events; the series of these events would be endless. But, the endless succession of these events and causes is not justifiable (375). There must be something that is the fir...