Substantiations of the Existence of God: new attempt of classificatory analysis

• Published in: Vestnik Pravoslavnogo Svi͡a︡to-Tikhonovskogo gumanitarnogo universiteta. I, Bogoslovie, filosofii͡a Vol. 73; no. 73; pp. 13 - 29
• Main Author: Shokhin, Vladimir
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: St. Tikhon's Orthodox University 01.12.2017
• Subjects: абдуктивные умозаключения; аналитическая философия; априорное и апостриорное; диалектическая контроверсия; духовные интуиции; естественная теология; иллюстративная аргументация; интрекультурная теология; метафизические презумпции; парадокс атеизма; философская теология
• ISSN: 1991-640X; 1991-640X; 2409-4692
• DOI: 10.15382/sturI201773.13-29

This article gives a critical analysis of old-established stereotypes about substantiations of the existence of God. The attention is focused on their identifi cation as “proofs” and, in more detail, on their formal division into the a priori and a posteriori types and the “material” division into primary and secondary (and, correspondingly, into primary and secondary within both groups as well). The article suggests their defi nition as dialectical abductive conclusions (from the better explanation) and proposes the division into the arguments from the common sense, from metaphysical principles and from “spiritual recognition”. The article also demonstrates that most actual and persuasive substantiations are located in the fi rst group of arguments, which were developed and are developing in topical polemical dialogue with real-life opponents (this also enforces the position of the proponent). As for the arguments from metaphysical principles, they, not being justifi cations of the existence of God in the proper sense, disclose His attributes, having been established in the theology of the perfect Being (one may also call it Anselmian theology) that provides foundation for the entire rational theology of the classical theism that follows the substantiation of the existence of God but cannot replace these substantiations. The reason why analytical theology neglects to elaborate the substantiation of the existence of God is its present-day bias caused by the shift of focus from subjects that natural theology (theologia naturalis) had lawfully been dealing with for centuries to trespassing the territory of revelational theology (theologia revelata), which violates the boundaries of the competence of the religious mind.