In this essay, you should defend a thesis on the subject of whether an argument for God’s existence can be logically provided:
- Briefly develop an a priori proof for God’s existence.
- Then, briefly develop an a posteriori proof for God’s existence.
- What is the difference between then, and is one or the other a more successful strategy for arguing for the existence of God?
(Hint: if you type “a priori proof for God’s existence” and/or “a posteriori proof for God’s existence” into google, you will almost certainly be rewarded with the wrong, incorrect, or irrelevant arguments, resulting in a poor foundation for this essay assignment)
- A short introductory paragraph, with a clear thesis statement (e.g., I shall argue that Plato’s argument is … because …). Your thesis should almost always be the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.
- A short, charitable reconstruction of the argument as presented by the philosopher whose position you rely on (you may, but need not, use standard premise / conclusion form).
- An brief explanation, in your own words, of the position that you’re describing (such as the Categorical Imperative, Justice as Fairness, etc.)
- An original argument, in which you make the case that answers the question, based on the philosophical position under investigation.
- A suitable concluding paragraph.
- Make reference to, and discuss meaningfully, at least two of the philosophers that we’ve read so far in the course.
