The Existence of God
by John Hick
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The principal philosophical arguments on the existence of God are brought together here. From the ancient Greeks and Anselm to the present-day and Bertrand Russell, both sides are represented. First come the contributions of Western philosophers to the five arguments traditionally used to prove that God exists; then come the basic challenges to the them; and finally the recent writings that proble what it means to assert that God exists.Tags
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Much of this could be categorized as "The Philosophy of Certitude," and or, "How to Prove a Premise By Excluding All But the Premise So as to Arrive at the Predictable Conclusion: The Premise". Or even: "The Philosophy of Pretending that Reason is the Same as Talking in Closed Self-Justifying Circles".
Some, even of those, though, can be respected for the rigor and apparent "reasonableness" and logicality of the arguments. And then there's Kierkegaard's "The Absolute Paradox," in which he notes that those who set out to prove "God" exists begin with the presupposition that "He" does -- therefore are bound to arrive at the conclusion they want, and which presuppose. The real danger, as he also notes, and which is avoided, is to begin show more with no conclusion, with no exclusive presupposition, and then honestly pursue the question.
Altogether a valuable book, and of substantial interest, so long as one doesn't take it as the ultimate proof of that "infinite perfection" which cannot be apprehended or proven with finite imperfect tools. In other words: Fun, so long as one is careful not to lose his faculties in the rush to trip over his own feet. show less
Some, even of those, though, can be respected for the rigor and apparent "reasonableness" and logicality of the arguments. And then there's Kierkegaard's "The Absolute Paradox," in which he notes that those who set out to prove "God" exists begin with the presupposition that "He" does -- therefore are bound to arrive at the conclusion they want, and which presuppose. The real danger, as he also notes, and which is avoided, is to begin show more with no conclusion, with no exclusive presupposition, and then honestly pursue the question.
Altogether a valuable book, and of substantial interest, so long as one doesn't take it as the ultimate proof of that "infinite perfection" which cannot be apprehended or proven with finite imperfect tools. In other words: Fun, so long as one is careful not to lose his faculties in the rush to trip over his own feet. show less
In The Existence of God, John Hick introduces and presents theistic and non-theistic, ancient and modern arguments for the existence of God. Hick calls on Plato, Anselm, Aquinas, Hume, Feuerbach, Flew, and even himself, among others, to debate whether or not "God is." Philosophers, theologians, and apologists will benefit from reading this book. This introduction is a very helpful beginning for new scholars and review for the veteran.
from Plato to Ayer
E-books IV
by John Hick
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Type: Book; English
Publisher: New York : Macmillan, [1964].
Editions: 2 Editions
OCLC: 221278978
Related Subjects: God -- Proof. | God -- History of doctrines.
You already recently rated this item.
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Type: Book; English
Publisher: New York : Macmillan, [1964].
Editions: 2 Editions
OCLC: 221278978
Related Subjects: God -- Proof. | God -- History of doctrines.
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Oct 27, 2020Catalan
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Books referenced in Jim Holt's Why Does the World Exist?
119 works; 1 member
Author Information
Born in Scarborough, England, Hick received his D. Phil. from Oxford University. For several years he served as a Presbyterian minister in Northumberland, England, but soon moved to the United States, where he took a position teaching philosophy at Cornell University. He served as Stuart Professor of Christian Philosophy at Princeton Theological show more Seminary from 1959 to 1964. Since then he has held a variety of teaching positions in the United States and England. Throughout Hick's career, his main focus has remained on problems in the philosophy of religion. His numerous books, particularly those concerned with the epistemology of religious belief, are marked with a consistently clear and easily accessible style. For this reason, his writings have always been popular among professional philosophers and theologians, as well as among those who are more casually interested in the nature of religious belief or the place of religion in contemporary culture. In more recent years, Hick became more single-minded in his concern with the problem of religious pluralism. Convinced that Western philosophical and religious thought have been too narrowly shaped by preoccupation with the Judeo-Christian tradition, he argues for a broader, more ecumenical spirit. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Existence of God
- Original publication date
- 1964
- People/Characters
- Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109); Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274); Plato (c.428-347 BC); F. C. Copleston; David Hume (1711-1776); William Paley (show all 19); John Stuart Mill; F. R. Tennant; Immanuel Kant (1724-1804); Hastings Rashdall; Bertrand Russell; Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1842); John Baillie; Søren Kierkegaard; A. J. Ayer; Antony Flew; R. B. Braithwaite; John Hick; John Wisdom
- Dedication
- To my mother
- First words
- The subject of the existence of God, as a problem in philosophy, revolves around the "theistic proofs" which have been a center of debate since the time of Plato.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Just this is called for, just this is done, in that statement so obvious yet so preposterous, "My dear, it's the Taj Mahal."
- Publisher's editor
- Edwards, Paul (General Editor)
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Statistics
- Members
- 485
- Popularity
- 62,421
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.19)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 9
