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three philosophers

three philosophers Peter Gotti Many different philosophers have their own theory on Gods existence. They have their own thoughts of how they believe God is a cause. Such philosophers are Anslem, Spinoza, and Leibniz. . Anslem is a philosopher who used the ontological way of thinking to explain God’s existence. The ontological thought process shows the existence and being of a thing. Anselm’s argument is that God is “this being that so truly exists that it cannot be even thought not to exist” (p. 860). The thoughts and ideas that are in your mind correspond to what exists. However, if you think about things that don’t exist it is not as good. The things that exist are real and God’s creation, and to understand this existance is even better. God is one who always exists and makes existence possible. In Anselm’s argument he states God “ of all things exist to the highest degree”(p. 860). He is saying God is the supreme being and is treated as a primary idea. In addition, Anslem describes God as “ truthful, happy and whatever it is better to be than not to be-for it is better to be just rather than unjust, and happy rather that unhappy”(861). This means that God represents everything that is good and real. However, we cant subject God to our thinking because he is greater than our thinking and stands apart from it. Anselm’s ontological argument is how he explains God as a necessary cause. Spinoza is a modern thinker who explains God as a cause as well. Spinoza is a monist who believes everything is one. Therefore, he believes God is the only substance and existence there is. Spinoza states that “by God I understand a being absolutely infinite, that is, a substance consisting of an infinity of attributes, of each one expresses an eternal and infinite essence” (p.115). Spinoza states God is a substance, an independent existence from us. God is apriori, meaning he is the cause of everything and we are a mode of God because we are dependent of him. Spinoza also states “one substance cannot be produced by another substance” (p.117). In nature no two substances with the same attributes can exist. Dependent things cannot be treated as a substance. Dependent things are just modes of the same substance. God is an immediate cause, in which he is immediately in everything we see. Since God determines everything, he takes out free will. God determines all our free will of thinking and our free process of nature. This is due to the fact that he determines everything. Spinoza calls him an “efficient cause, not only of the existence of things but also their essence”(p.129). He is a direct cause of everything and he is in immediate contact with us. All things have a reason and everything is because of everything else. God is this reason and this is why God is an efficient cause. As a philosopher Spinoza states God is an independent entity in which he is an eternal truth. Due to this you cannot conceive God as anything else but true. Leibniz was a monad who treats God as a category, something that is perfect. Leibniz says, “God is an absolutely perfect being”(p.81). God is perfect in every way meaning that he contains no impossibility and has no limits. God is the architect of this world and he has chosen the best possibilities for the world to exist. It is under Gods orders that we are the way we exist. Leibniz states, “ God has chosen the most perfect, that is to say the one which is at the same time the simplest in hypotheses and the richest in phenomena….”(p.84). This is saying that what we perceive is based on simple subjects. Simple substances are going to be the monad. This is God’s intention. God makes general intentions and particular intentions and at the same time God permits evil but does not desire it. The Monad is a non-physical simple substance that is made up of no parts. Monad is the simple explanation behind all composites. It makes up composites and has no form. It has no form because physical things take on form. It is not subject to nature and there is no internal movement. Perception is one way we know the Monad. We perceive composites and material. We have simple thoughts about composite things. Leibniz believes we have sufficient reason to believe the source of everything is God. God’s perfection can make all things possible. In addition, all things are a reflection of God and in this sense the Monad is a reflection of God’s doing. Anslem believes that God is the one that makes all things possible, just as Leibniz and Spinoza. Spinoza states God is an independent existence which is the cause of everything. All of the philosophers believe God makes all things possible. Leibniz compares to the other philosophers as well because he believes God is a perfect architect who created the world. Anslem, Spinoza and Leibniz are tied together in the simple sense that they acknowledge Gods perfect being. They believe he is a divine perfect essence who has made existence possible. Bibliography:

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