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PAR 201: Medieval Philosophy

PAR 201: Medieval Philosophy. Medieval Philosophical Theology. Roman Era 0-500 Philo c. 0 Augustine c. 400 Islamic 800-1100 Al- Farabi , Averroes, Avicenna (Al- Gazzali ) Middle Ages 1000-1400 Anselm, Maimonides, Aquinas. Problem of relation of “reason” to “faith”

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PAR 201: Medieval Philosophy

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  1. PAR 201: Medieval Philosophy

  2. Medieval Philosophical Theology • Roman Era 0-500 • Philo c. 0 • Augustine c. 400 • Islamic 800-1100 • Al-Farabi, Averroes, Avicenna (Al-Gazzali) • Middle Ages 1000-1400 • Anselm, Maimonides, Aquinas • Problem of relation of “reason” to “faith” • Natural vs. revealed theology • Concept of God & divine attributes • Proofs of existence or vs. non-existence of God Other topics, e.g. miracles, religious ethics

  3. Can we know that God exists – or that God does not exist? • Belief in “God” = Abrahamic religions • based on “faith” or “divine revelation” (e.g. scriptural) or “divine messengers” (e.g. Moses/Paul /Mohammed) • Philosophers of Religion: • Rational belief based on proof (“natural theology”) • Argument from experience or concept of God • vs. belief based on revelation (authority, faith) (“revealed theology”)

  4. Abrahamic concept of ‘God’ = • ONE • not many, nor one of a kind, nor composed of spirit and body • ALL-GOOD • not imperfectly good, but perfect and bountiful  creation, whose providence is both general and particular • ALL-POWERFUL • not lacking in any power or knowledge, omnipotent* and omniscient • CREATOR AND RULER OF THE UNIVERSE • Different faiths: Judaism; Christianity; Islam

  5. Two Types of “Proofs” of God “A priori” argument = based on the idea “A posteriori” proof = based on the world Cosmological Design Moral Arguments • Ontological Argument

  6. The Ontological Argument • God is “the greatest possible being.” • We conceive of God. • But then God mustexist, for if we were to conceive of him as not existing, he would not be “the greatest possible being.” • Therefore, God exists.

  7. A posteriori arguments • Cosmological Argument: cf. Thomas Aquinas: • First Mover argument • First Cause argument • Necessary Cause argument • Design Argument: cf. Thomas Aquinas, “5th Way” and “Intelligent Design” theorists today • Moral Argument: cf. Kant, C. S. Lewis • The moral laws are absolute, not contingent like natural laws. • There is no source of absolute laws, other than God. • Therefore the source of the moral laws is God.

  8. The Cosmological Arguments 1. The universe exists. 2. When anything exists, there must be a prior mover or cause of it. 3. But this cannot go backwards for infinity. 4. Therefore there must be a First Mover or First Cause.* 5. This = (part of) what we mean by ‘God’ *3rd Way argues to a “Necessary Cause”

  9. The Design Argument 1. “When there is ‘evidence of design’ and it is very unlikely it came about by chance, there is a Designer. 2. The universe shows a lot of evidence of design. – earth supporting life; living things themselves; human reason 3. Therefore there is a Designer of the universe, i.e. God.”

  10. The Argument from Evil 1. If God is all good and all powerful, there would be no evil*. 2. But evil exists Innocent suffering* caused by human agents Innocent suffering caused by non-human agents, e.g. disease 3. Therefore there is no all-good and all-powerful God.

  11. Theodicies Some things are beyond even God’s control “God has reasons we cannot fathom” (variation: “what seems evil to us may be good to God”) Satan is responsible for evil, not God Justified punishment (Adam & Eve) Free will Soul-making (aka virtue-building)

  12. The Argument from Omniscience 1. Omniscience implies e.g. knowledge at T0 Peter will sin at Tn. (Indeed, he must sin.) 2. Therefore Peter cannot choose not to sin at Tn-1. 3. Human freedom implies the ability to choose to S or ~S, e.g. Peter can choose at Tn-1 to sin or not sin at Tn. 4. Therefore if God exists, man cannot be free; and if man is free, God cannot exist. 5. Since man is obviously free, God cannot exist

  13. Replies to Omniscience Augustine: God’s knowing does not cause the choice. Problem of ‘open future.’ Boethius: God knows from eternity, and does not have ‘foreknowledge’—this dissolves the problem. A modern argument: God’s omniscience does not require he exercise it—he sees our futures as a branching set of possibilities, all of which are open to us.

  14. Beginnings of Modernity • Art: Giotto 1300 Donatello 1400 • Religion: Gutenberg Bible 1455 Martin Luther 1517 • Science & World-View: Columbus 1492 Copernicus 1543 Newton 1687 Watt 1769 Darwin 1858 • Politics: • Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke 16th-17th centuries • Revolutions: English 1688 American 1776 French 1789 Russian 1917 • Philosophy: Descartes 1641 Kant 1781

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