from Plato to Ayer

GB-6

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. ( )

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 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.

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