The Argument from EXISTENCE
Demonstrating from the perceptually self-evident fact of
existence
The most
effective way to permanently remove a weed, is to pull it up by its roots. On page 48 of his book, On Ayn Rand, (Belmont CA:
Wadsworth, 2000), Allan Gotthelf writes the following: Both the concept of a "God" and the arguments
traditionally offered for the existence of such a Being involve fundamental
violations of the three axioms. To seasoned Objectivists, the truth of this statement is
readily self-apparent. But to those who are less familiar with the fundamentals
of Objectivism, such statements may seem unjustified. To clear the record of any
seemingly unjustified assertions, I have undertaken to show exactly how the
notion of a God and god-belief in general are in fundamental conflict with the
Objectivist axioms 'existence', 'identity' and 'consciousness', fundamental
truths which all cognition must assume as true, even in the act of denying or
rejecting them. I call the product of this effort the Argument from the Fact of
Existence (AFE), and I believe it shows precisely how god-belief is invalid. I
invite all my readers, theists and atheists alike, to examine my work and the works I
cite to support my verdicts, and to make up their own minds on the matters I
address. The Issue of Metaphysical
Primacy Why the metaphysical primacy of existence
is valid, and why the primacy of consciousness is invalid. The Argument from Existence
Presented as a Formal Syllogism Click
here for a full presentation of the Argument from Existence. Important
Terms A little more than a mere glossary, this is a compendium of crucial
elements of a robust atheology based on Objectivist principles. The Ruling
Consciousness Is the notion 'God' supposed to refer to a form of
consciousness which creates existence? If so, then the notion 'God' is an
explicit expression of the primacy of consciousness metaphysics. How the Theist Checkmates
Himself The Argument from Existence exposes a performative inconsistency
between the act of asserting theistic claims and the content of
theistic claims. This short piece, presented in the form of an opening statement
in a debate with a theistic apologist, focuses on this inconsistency. How
the Claim "God Exists" Contradicts Itself: An application of the
Argument from Existence which shows how the theist contradicts himself simply by
claiming that God exists. The
Eternality of the Universe by Alex Silverman. Some reasons why it is
rational to hold that the
universe is eternal. Possible
Objections Here are seven objections against the
Argument from Existence which I examine and counter. This is a sort of
"head-'em-off-at-the-pass" group of defenses with which non-believers
should familiarize themselves. Thorn's
Metaphysical Challenge to Theists If you believe there's a
universe-creating, reality-ruling form of consciousness in existence, maybe
you'd like to take this little challenge? Osborne's Criticism of the Argument from Existence A thorough rebuttal to Philip Osborne's refutation of the argument from existence. The
Byron-Choi Dilemma See how two apologists of the same theological stripe
unwittingly contradicted each other when it came time for them to pontificate on
the the issue of metaphysical primacy. Back
to the Objectivist Atheology Homepage E-mail Anton Thorn: tindrbox@aol.com