The Enlightenment: Rationalism, Empiricism and God .
Metaphysics is an area of philosophical study which concerns itself with the existence of things. With the question of existence comes the idea of deity, for if one is to determine how one exists, it must be determined how one came into existence. The 18th century, better known as the Enlightenment, initiated a paradigm shift in metaphysical thought. Empiricism and Rationalism are contrasting schools of philosophy which portray the attitudes of the Enlightenment, these philosophies radically changed the contemporary thought of religion, and human existence, but most importantly empiricism, academically questioned the existence of God. Descartes, a chief exponent to rationalism, argued the Empirical premises and maintained that God necessarily exists. Descartes" argumentation is flawed and does not adequately prove the existence of God. The disparity in thought brought about scepticism and created social, political, and economic change. To analyse both philosophical schools of thought one must discuss how they respectively argue the realities of existence.
To further understand the reasoning of both philosophies, one must analyse their chief premises. Rationalism pertains that reason alone, arrives at fundemental truth regarding the world. Associated with rationalism is the doctrine of innate ideas and the method of logically deducing truths about the world from "self-evident" premises. Descartes, a famous rationalist thinker, insisted that God does exist, and utilized rationalistic premise to deduce his proof for God's existence. .
To an empiricist, the occurrence of consciousness is instilled by experience. They argue that all human knowledge is absorbed from experience and observation alone. Humans are born as an empty slate; it is through sense perception that ones knowledge begins to form and shape ones mind. Empiricism denounces the idea of a priori thought (knowledge that is independent of all experience).
Existence of God God exists or he doesn't. ... It is far from a controversial question, for if God does exist, then our actions in life matter, if he does not exist, then our faith does not matter at all. In my belief system, God does exist. ... Whether or not he exists, does not matter to me. ... Therefore do these planets exist or not? ...
Some believe that God does not exist, and Auschwitz was an example that proves that he does not exist. This is probably the simplest answer to the question, because why would God allow something like this to proceed, if he existed? Also the God we think might not be the real God that exists. Others believed that God had turned his back on humanity (he does not care) and if that is the case why even believe in this God? Still there are others who might think that god does exist, and either caused (or at least permitted) the destruction of the Jews, the Gypsies and the other victims. ...
Does God Exist? ... Ontological arguments are a priori, which show that God exists without appealing to a sense experience. ... Therefor God must exist, why you might ask? If the greatest thing that we can conceive does not exist than we can still conceive the greatest thing that does exist, and that would be God. ... In Descartes "the Argument from Perfection" he reasons that if existence is one of the perfections and God has all the perfections, then God must exist. ...
EXISTENCE OF GOD Does God Exist? ... In my life I myself have always came to the question does God really exist. ... Her opinion is that God does exist. ... Christianity is a religion that strongly believes that God does exist. ... In conclusion, does God really Exist? ...
Does God Exist? ... In my life I myself have always came to the question does God really exist. ... Her opinion is that God does exist. ... Christianity is a religion that strongly believes that God does exist. ... In conclusion, does God really Exist? ...
Abstract: This paper addresses some issues on whether God exists. ... If God exists in a different dimension that is out of human conceivability, then God may not be bounded to have a beginning or end because Time may not exist at all in that dimension. So long as God does not exist in the same dimension as ours, the being of God is not bounded by any rules under human perception. ... Otherwise, is God capable of doing evil for it is one of the things he created? ... Or if God is not capable of doing evil, is this a limit of his omnipotence? ...
Then how does God determine as to where our birth should take place. ... Despite what conclusions I may draw, Russell clearly states that he "does not believe in God and in immortality; and secondly I do not think that Christ was the best and wisest of men." ... Regardless, there is evil present; therefore can God exist? ... For example, in nature things could either exist or not exist. It would be impossible for these things to always exist, therefore one day they may not exist, and being this case, at one time, they did not exist. ...
Does God Exist? When the question of God's existence arises, there are basically two answers, He exists(on some level or another) or he doesn't. ... If he did not exist, then he would not be perfect...Assuredly that, than which nothing greater can be conceived cannot exist in understanding alone." ... This does seem to be true if we follow our earthly "rules" and use our finite judgement. ... I know I do. ...
Does God Exist? ... Descartes outlines a process in order to come to the conclusion that God does necessarily exist. ... His reason for this is because God does not deceive. And lastly he says that God exists because he clearly and distinctly perceives it to be true. ... There exists an infinite amount of ways to think of God, thus we can conclude from this they are all interrelated. ...