Abstract

What determines whether the procedures for proving the affirmative statement of God's existence may be called a proof? Certainly, it is necessary that all premises be true and that a reliable inference schemata be applied. One premise appears to be the most critical in the theistic argument. This premise is the principle of sufficient reason. I hold the view that the principle of sufficient reason cannot be found among the premises of any metaphysical explanation of reality, so I suggest that the terms “proof” and “argument” not be used. Instead, we could speak of ways of acquiring discursive knowledge of God and ways of indirect substantiation of God's existence.

Highlights

  • What determines whether the procedures for proving the affirmative statement of God’s existence may be called a proof? Certainly, it is necessary that all premises be true and that a reliable inference schemata be applied

  • In natural theology the procedures used to acquire a philosophical knowledge of God are usually called an ‘argument’, a ‘proof’ or a ‘way’

  • The author notices that each version of the empirical proof assumes the principle of sufficient reason (Yandel 2002, pp. 182-183)

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Summary

Introduction

What determines whether the procedures for proving the affirmative statement of God’s existence may be called a proof? Certainly, it is necessary that all premises be true and that a reliable inference schemata be applied. The author notices that each version of the empirical (we might say, a posteriori) proof assumes the principle of sufficient reason Zdybicka, who applies the terms: ‘proof’, ‘argument’ and ‘way’ to designate the procedures for proving the veracity of the statement of God’s existence.

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