Download The Miracle of Theism

Alvin Plantinga
• American philosopher.
• 15 November 1932.
• Defender of Malcolm, to some
extent!!
• Expressed a modal logic version of
the ontological argument.
Modal Logic
Definition offered by the Stanford
Encyclopaedia of Philosophy:
A modal is an expression (like ‘necessarily’
or ‘possibly’) that is used to qualify the
truth of a judgement. Modal logic is,
strictly speaking, the study of the
deductive behaviour of the expressions
‘it is necessary that’ and ‘it is possible
that’.
Alvin Plantinga
•
Argued that religious belief is foundational; i.e. it
does not stand in need of external justification.
•
Formulated a more complex OA in order to evade
the classic criticisms and show that belief can be
defended through the argument.
•
“…what I claim for this argument therefore, is that
it establishes not the truth of theism, but its
rational acceptability.”
Alvin Plantinga
See Lacewing pp195-197.
Two concepts used by Plantinga:
• Maximal excellence = having omnipotence,
omniscience, moral perfection. This is the
God of traditional theism.
• Maximal greatness = has maximal excellence
in every possible world.
If a being exhibits maximal greatness, it
exhibits maximal excellence in every possible
world.
Maximal excellence = God of traditional theism.
Alvin Plantinga
Maximal greatness = has maximal excellence in
every possible world.
1. It is possible that there be a being that has
maximal greatness.
2. So there is a possible being that in some world
W has maximal greatness.
3. A being has maximal greatness in a given world
only if it has maximal excellence in every world.
4. A being has maximal excellence in a given world
only if it has omniscience, omnipotence, and
moral perfection in that world.
Maximal excellence = God of traditional theism.
Alvin Plantinga
Maximal greatness = has maximal excellence in
every possible world.
• Plantinga argues that this reformulation of
the OA removes the issue of necessary
existence.
• ‘…we no longer need the supposition that
necessary existence is a perfection; for
obviously a being can’t be omnipotent…in a
given world unless it exists in that world.’
Maximal excellence = God of traditional theism.
Alvin Plantinga
Maximal greatness = has maximal excellence in
every possible world.
2. So there is a possible being that in
some world W has maximal greatness.
• If W is actual then it would be impossible
that there be no omnipotent, omniscient,
and morally perfect being.
• Contingent truths vary from world to
world, what is logically impossible does not.
Maximal excellence = God of traditional theism.
Alvin Plantinga
Maximal greatness = has maximal excellence in
every possible world.
1. If W had been actual, then ‘there is no omnipotent,
omniscient, and morally perfect being’ would be an
impossible proposition.
2. If a proposition is impossible in at least one possible
world, then it is impossible in every possible world.
3. Accordingly, it is impossible in the actual world.
4. If it is impossible then there actually exists a being
that is omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect;
this being has these qualities and exists in every
possible world.
Maximal excellence = God of traditional theism.
Alvin Plantinga
Maximal greatness = has maximal excellence in
every possible world.
‘Therefore, in every possible world W it is
impossible that there be no such being……hence
it is impossible in the actual world……Hence there
really does exist a being who is omniscient,
omnipotent, and morally perfect and who exists
and has these properties in every possible world.’
Alvin Plantinga: Self-Review!
1. The argument is valid; given its premise, the
conclusion follows.
2. Only question is whether its main premise - that
maximal greatness is possible - is true.
3. P thinks it is true therefore his version is sound.
4. Says there is ‘nothing contrary to reason or
irrational in accepting this premise.’
5. Is this a proof of the existence of God? NO!
Maximal excellence = God of traditional theism.
Criticisms
Maximal greatness = has maximal excellence in
every possible world.
•
Appeals to a possible world to show that the
existence of a maximally excellent being is logically
necessary in this world.
•
Has failed to show that the possible world must be
real. It only exists in the realm of logic.
•
Mackie, ‘The Miracle of Theism’, accuses Plantinga of
“……subverting all the principles of the understanding
of so many intelligent readers.”