The Proof of Gods Existence - Essay Example

From the excerpt regarding the Proof of Gods existence, Saint Salem argues that there exists a being that is greater than any other creature which has ever been conceived and that this being not only exists in our understanding but also in reality. Additionally, it should be understood that human beings are finite and God is infinite and thereby explaining his existence is difficult. Saint Thomas Aquinas argues that there are five ways through which the existence of God can be ascertained. The first argument he makes is that of motion by saying that there are things in this world that are in motion and they have been put in that motion by another thing. Therefore the reduction of something from a state of potentiality (potential motion) to the state of actuality (actual motion) can only be done by something that is in a state of actuality. Also, he argues that it is not possible to have something in both a state of potentiality and actuality at the same time. This concludes that the first mover is God. The other argument that Saint Thomas Aquinas makes relates to the nature of the efficient cause. He asserts that a thing cannot be the efficient cause of itself; therefore, there can only be one initial efficient cause that leads to an intermediate cause (which can be one or several), which finally leads to the ultimate cause. Note that effect only occurs where there is a cause, and it is thereby conclusive to say that all effects come from an initial cause which is God. Thirdly, Saint Thomas Aquinas argues about the existence of God from the aspect of possibility and necessity. It is possible for a thing to exist or not to exist which means that there was a time when nothing existed. To bring something into existence, something else must exist otherwise up to date nothing could be existing. It is noteworthy that for something to exist it must be necessary and such necessity is determined by another thing that is already in existence. The first thing that was in existence that caused everything else to exist out of necessity is God.

Another argument that Saint Thomas makes regarding Gods relates to how things are graded. He acknowledges that the more or the less that exists in something can only be predicted in comparison to something which is maximum the uttermost being that can be considered the noblest, the best and the truest. Therefore the one being that is the maximum of perfection and goodness to all other beings is what is considered to be God. Lastly, the governance of the world is another aspect that is used to prove the existence of God. The argument made is that things that lack intelligence act the same way all the time to obtain specific results. However, something that lacks intelligence cannot move to the end unless it is guided by that which has intelligence and knowledge and this being is referred to as God. The proofs that have been explained can make different people see things differently. For instance, it can make non-believers believe in the existence of God as the supreme being who existed before everything else and through necessity made everything that exists today to come into being. However, there are other non-believers who could still question whether there is a more supreme being in existence or everything that occurs do so naturally out of free will. It should be noted that the five proofs presented by Saint Thomas Aquinas are solid enough to make non-believers believe in the existence of God. Those who fail to believe make the assumption that anything that is in existence must have had a reason or a cause of existence and it is not possible for anything to be the cause of its own existence or produce itself. Therefore, to make an appropriate conclusion from the aspect of cause and effect, it is only proper that tracing infinite succession continues without finding an ultimate cause of an effect or have an alternative being to be the ultimate cause which is in existence.

Utilitarian Defense of Equality of Women

With regards to utilitarianism, the judgment of the standards of public policies and actions it the extent to which they are able to detract or promote happiness amongst the largest numbers. Mill believed that the development of human beings was well nurtured in an environment of freedom and thereby increasingly advocated that modern societies should reconcile representative governments with individual freedoms of different people. Therefore, the core of Mills feminism is founded on his unwavering belief in justice, human development and freedom. In standing up for the rights of women, Mill received both criticism and support from different members of the society. Those members who criticized his works stated detested it by stating that the destiny of women had been decided by nature and Mills endeavors were an insult. However, other feminists saw his point of view and came to his defense by acknowledging that he was one of the first few men to understand the degradation that women went through in the society. Most of the concerns raised by Mill involved the unidentified and natural role of women in the community. The typical tradition of the society failed to show concern for the political and social equality of women but only leaned towards justifying their subordination to men. Despite all the negativity towards feminism, Mill was able to address the key issues that women faced and gave women a voice to fight for equality and other pertinent rights. The arguments and discussions presented by Mill regarding women are well thought out and mainly revolve around justice and individual liberties. Also, his concerns were related to the protection of various interests and the general improvement of all people through the development of human character and participation in politics. Under common law, married English women had no rights bank in the seventeenth century after marriage; they interred into a coverture which was a legal condition where they could not soul or be sued, make a will or a contract or even allowed to own property. Additionally, women had no legal protection against physical or sexual harassment from their partners and wives lacked custody rights to their own children. Stereotyping women in these aspects as just mothers, housewives, and sexual partners was prejudicial and prevented them from reaching g their full potential out of fear to speak out.

Teleological Argument

Hume argues that the world is made up of infinite divisions that human faculties and senses cannot even trace or explain. However, from the things that exist and the curiosity that they invoke in the human mind, he concludes that the mind of the architect of nature was similar to that of the human mind but had faculties that were much larger and equal to the magnificence of the job that had been executed. This argument is persuasive in proving that there is a more intelligent being that we know and this being is what we refer to as God. According to Philo, the analogical reason is much weaker, and people who have believed in imperfect analogies have been disapproved by conducting experiments. He argues that because it is much easier to explain simple things by making assumptions, the same analogy cannot be used in describing the existence of the universe because it is much more complicated. Philos argument is not persuasive enough because it based on the assumption that what we know to exist may not have existed as we believe; however, the argument does not bring forth an explanation regarding how the things that are in existence came to being.

The Wager

Blaise Pascal insinuates that we are faced with infinite chaos, and its for this reason that we cannot make one choice or the other when faced with a particular situation. However, he also says that we should not reprove others if the choices that they made were wrong and we did not know about them. It is acknowledged that making a choice is like making a wager and that the true course is not to wager at all. However, it is impossible not to because one has to make a choice all the time we are faced by a situation. Therefore, it is a must that one must wager in the form of a choice or decision. Therefore as relates to the existence of God, believing is out of free will and non-forceful. If one has to wager, believing in his existence means that you are gaining it all and by failing to believe in his existence, you are losing nothing at all. This argument is persuasive enough because it gives one the freedom to choose what to believe in. Based on the choices that one faces, he or she can decide to believe in the existence of God or not.

Why Evil Is not created by God

Considering the many catastrophes and awful misdeeds, it is easy to ask who created evil and blamed it on anyone. Dacreats perceives God as a supremely perfect being with infinite goodness. However, the fact that he gave us the freedom to choose, the aspect of evil comes from the free will of an individual person. It is argued that just like the absence of heat causes cold, the absence of good causes evil. The presence of evil can be deemed as a natural consequence of the existence of rules, regulations, and laws. Thereby, it can be concluded that God did not create evil, but it came naturally out of the choice that people make when trying to do that which is right and avoid that which is wrong. This argument is quite persuasive in the sense that God is a perfect being and in bringing things to existence out of necessity, he could not make evil.