CC Phil in Islam Anselm and Aquinas God and From Faith to Reasoning Discussion

User Generated

zngzng2020

Humanities

Cuyamaca College

Description

Assignment Overview

Having reviewed the content for this unit, students will make an online submission of their response to one of the assignment questions below. The purpose of this assignment is to assess your familiarity with the central ideas from the Age of Faith to the Age of Reason.

Instructions

  • The number of points possible are listed on the Rubric below.
  • Look at the Rubric tio see how your essay is to be evaluated.
  • Click the Blue Submit button to begin your essay in the box. When done Click save at the bottom.
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  • The assignment is to be 2-3 pages in length (approx. 1300 words or 125 lines) using standard 12" font size with 1.5 spacing.
  • You may use bullet lists sparingly for only part of your essay. Any late assignments will receive partial credit and must be turned in before advancing to the next week.
  • If you have any problems with submission call the student help line in Canvas from the global menu on the bottom left.

Questions & Prompts

In this comparison/contrast essay, choose one of the following questions to answer. Place one of the bold titles at the top of your essay. The prompts under each question are intended to guide your response.

  • Philosophy in the Islamic World: Relying upon Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, and Avicenna discuss some of the following themes.
    • Philosophy vs Theology
    • Existence of God (possible or necessary) Existence & Essence
    • Emanations & the Active Intellect
    • View of the human Soul.
  • Anselm & Aquinas on God: Compare and contrast the method and approach taken by Anselm & Aquinas to rationally prove the existence of God. In your reply consider some of the following;
    • What is the difference between an Ontological and Cosmological approach?
    • How is an a priori form of reasoning different from an a posteriori form of reasoning?
    • Aquinas' argument relies upon reasons and evidence? What is the evidence?
    • Anselm proves his point from reason alone. What are his reasons?
    • What are some of the rational assumptions that Aquinas relies upon. For example; Is it reasonably compelling to reject an infinite regress? Explain.
    • How does the difference between contingency and necessity impact these arguments?
    • Is relying upon reason alone a sufficient condition to prove something exist? Explain.
  • From Faith to Reason Explain the Medieval view of "The World God Made for Us" as described in the opening chapter From Medieval to Modern Europe. Then consider some of the following:
    • What was the accepted view and conception of God, man and nature as expressed in at least one example from Christian and Islamic sources?
    • In what specific ways did the Humanism of Erasmus and Pico della Mirandola challenge the older view?
    • What were the consequences of the challenges made by Protestant Reformation to the old order and its authority as represented in the works and ideas of Luther and Montaigne?
    • How did the Scientific Revolution challenge the older world-view that was grounded in the authority of revelation, faith, and qualitative distinctions?
    • What were their new criteria (vocabulary) for authority and the new vision of the world that resulted from the works and ideas of Copernicus and Galileo? Be specific and cite examples that support your position.

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Explanation & Answer

Attached.

Running head: ANSELM & AQUINAS ON GOD

Anselm & Aquinas on God

Name
Course
University

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ANSELM & AQUINAS ON GOD

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The debate on the existence of God has raged on over the centuries as various schools of
thought, theologians and philosophers make their arguments for or against this course. Given
that the vast majority of human knowledge is the result of experience, trying to prove the
existence of God has been an uphill task. However, various theologians have taken up the
challenge and sought to prove this existence using diverse approaches. In the Christian tradition,
two of the greatest minds that have made great contributions to natural theology are St. Anselm
of Canterbury (1033-1109 AD) and St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 AD). This paper aims to
contrast the approaches postulated by Anselm and Aquinas as they rationally strive to prove the
existence of God.
Ontological and Cosmological approach
The ontological argument on the existence of God can be traced back to Anselm. This
argument which is one of the most fascinating asserts that when people deny that there is a God,
they are being self-contradictory since they deny that the greatest possible existing. This
argument seeks to prove the existence of God conceptually by showing that God exists in the
mind and reality. They argue that something that exists both in mind and reality is greater, and if
God exists in mind alone, then it would be possible to come with a greater idea. However since
it’s impossible to imagine something greater than God, then He exists (IEP, n.d).
In contrast, Aquinas adopts an empirical premise to prove the existence of God. Through
the cosmological argument, Aquinas seeks to show existence by pointing to motion and change.
He asserts that observation of everything on earth shows that it’s experiencing change or motion.
As such, everything can be seen from a state of potential to a state of actuality. Further, he
indicates that when something moves, it implies that something is moving it which is greater and
not a part of it. This points to the presence of a first-mover, who initiates all the movement but
remains the "unmoved mover" . Therefore since, the mover is outside the cycle he is given the
name God (Nnaeme, 2015).
Priori and posteriori reasoning
Anselm and Aquinas differ in their approach to rationally prove the existence of God. On
one hand, one adopts a form o...


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