Modal Ontological Arguments

Bibliographic Data

ID4079911
AuthorsGregory R P Stacey (0000-0001-8480-0547, University of Leeds, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume18
Issue8
Publication date2023-08-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePhilosophy Compass (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1747-9991 • E-ISSN: 1747-9991
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/phc3.12938
OpenAlexW4385074720
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited49

Inspired by the third chapter of Anselm's Proslogion, twentieth century philosophers including Charles Hartshorne and Alvin Plantinga developed "modal" ontological arguments for the existence of God. Such arguments use modal logic to infer God's existence from the premises that (i) God's existence is possible and (ii) if God exists, He exists necessarily. Like other ontological arguments, modal arguments have won few converts to theism; many commentators consider them question-begging or liable to parody. This article details how recent attempts to defend these arguments have tried to overcome these difficulties by drawing on modern accounts of the epistemology and metaphysics of modality

Begging · Counterfactual conditional · Counterfactual thinking · Epistemology · Existence of God · Metaphysics · Modal · Modal logic · Ontological argument · Philosophy of religion · Possible world · Theism · Theology · Computer Science · Medieval and Classical Philosophy · Philosophy · Philosophy and Theoretical Science · Theology and Philosophy of Evil

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