Roadmap for an Argument for the Existence of God
This post sets out the initial roadmap for the argument for the existence of God that will be set out in later posts. The particular argument I will be using is derived from Robert Spitzer’s New Proofs for the Existence of God and, to a lesser extent, W. Norris Clarke’s The One and the Many. Both are simplified versions of Aquinas’ Second Way, and they do not rely on any particular metaphysical view of the world. Thus, one does not need to accept Aquinas’ metaphysics to find the argument compelling.
The argument will proceed in five major steps. The first step is a proof for the thesis that at least one unconditioned reality exists. As we will see shortly in greater detail, an unconditioned reality is one that does not depend on another reality for its existence. It is an absolute reality that transcends the order of space and time.
The second step will demonstrate that any unconditioned reality must be absolutely simple. From simplicity we will then deduce the following: infinity, immutability, eternity, and transcendence of space and time.
The third step will demonstrate that the unconditioned reality is absolutely unique. The fourth and final step will demonstrate that the one unconditioned reality is the continuous Creator of all that is.
My plan is to devote a single post to explaining each step of the argument, and perhaps additional posts to consider any objections. I may modify the plan as we move along.