I previously put forth the following argument, which was met with an almost fundamentalist-minded rejection (ironically mainly by atheists!):
1. Gods are concepts
2. Concepts exist
3. Therefore Gods exist
While I want to get back into this argument I would actually like to start someplace else, and that is with human thoughts. The first thing to cover is that, as with all objective “truths”, we must accept on pure faith that the external world exists and that there are other conscious people in it. Considering most people do this automatically it is much of a problem. So, this is to say, we accept that others have thoughts and ideas just as we do.
Thoughts are nonphysical, that is to say they themselves cannot be held, observed, and so on. Just because they are partially or fully dependent on the physical brain does not make thoughts, themselves physical. Yet we agree that thoughts exist despite the lacking physical evidence. Of course not all evidence for something needs to be physical, there is plenty of reason to believe thoughts exist. For one, we ourselves have them and understand how they shape us and the world around us. Further, we can share thoughts with others, hear and understand their thoughts, understand them through their thoughts, see their thoughts impact the external world, and so on.
Another example would be brain imaging and other physiological tests. For example, things like heart rate, breathing, and active parts of the brain will all change when thinking certain thoughts such as sexual thoughts. We can monitor the physical brain aspects of thoughts and perhaps even predict thoughts / actions (such as psychopathy) based on brain imaging.
The same can be said of Gods, at least as concepts. A conception is a type of thought. The very definition of “concept” is an abstract idea or general notion, a plan or intention, and an idea or invention. Abstract ideas and notions fall under thoughts as we have described them before, plans of action and intent certainly exist, and ideas and inventions have certainly been created. Gods fit under all of these definitions. Back to the argument:
1. Concepts exist
2. Gods are concepts
3. Therefore Gods exist
The first premise self-evidently is true by the very definitions of a “concept”. There is no arguing the first premise in any way other than semantics or other wastes of time.
The second premise is testier, and there are two ways to go about it. The first way is to believe in the objective existence of “gods”. In this sense then gods would not be concepts, rather we would have concepts of gods. However, there is little to no evidence supporting the existence of gods (with logic only getting you as far as deism or mysticism), so this is a poor route to take. The other way is to accept that Gods were thought up, they were concepts, in the human mind before having any sort of external impact on the world. If you accept this second option (which is much more supported than option one) you accept premise two. From there the logic to the conclusion is extremely simple.
So how do concepts and gods compare with thoughts, and why does this conclusion matter? As we already said, concepts are a type of thought, and both exist in the same sense. The same ways we argue for thoughts is how we understand concepts. As with thoughts, concepts can be seen to be held by others and they can be seen to impact the world in objective and measurable ways. The two are the same in this sense. Further, meditation, prayer, and other forms of “divine” interaction show in brain imaging and physiological tests just as with thoughts. This makes gods, as concepts, tested the same ways as thought, just as real as thoughts. One would never argue that a chair that was conceived of, created, and impacts the objective would was non-existent just because the chair did not exist prior to the concept. You would not even argue that the chair has no impact on the world because its impact is blatantly self-evident every time someone sits down! So why would you say that a god that was conceived of, brought in the world via preaching / practice and idol making, and have MASSIVE impacts on the objective world is nonexistent?
Why is it important? Well, why is any tool important whether physical or ideological? We have seen the powers behind these gods, the impact they can cause on the objective world. Better yet, by understanding them as creations without prior existence we can see them and use them as tool to cause immense change in ourselves and the species.
1. Gods are concepts
2. Concepts exist
3. Therefore Gods exist
While I want to get back into this argument I would actually like to start someplace else, and that is with human thoughts. The first thing to cover is that, as with all objective “truths”, we must accept on pure faith that the external world exists and that there are other conscious people in it. Considering most people do this automatically it is much of a problem. So, this is to say, we accept that others have thoughts and ideas just as we do.
Thoughts are nonphysical, that is to say they themselves cannot be held, observed, and so on. Just because they are partially or fully dependent on the physical brain does not make thoughts, themselves physical. Yet we agree that thoughts exist despite the lacking physical evidence. Of course not all evidence for something needs to be physical, there is plenty of reason to believe thoughts exist. For one, we ourselves have them and understand how they shape us and the world around us. Further, we can share thoughts with others, hear and understand their thoughts, understand them through their thoughts, see their thoughts impact the external world, and so on.
Another example would be brain imaging and other physiological tests. For example, things like heart rate, breathing, and active parts of the brain will all change when thinking certain thoughts such as sexual thoughts. We can monitor the physical brain aspects of thoughts and perhaps even predict thoughts / actions (such as psychopathy) based on brain imaging.
The same can be said of Gods, at least as concepts. A conception is a type of thought. The very definition of “concept” is an abstract idea or general notion, a plan or intention, and an idea or invention. Abstract ideas and notions fall under thoughts as we have described them before, plans of action and intent certainly exist, and ideas and inventions have certainly been created. Gods fit under all of these definitions. Back to the argument:
1. Concepts exist
2. Gods are concepts
3. Therefore Gods exist
The first premise self-evidently is true by the very definitions of a “concept”. There is no arguing the first premise in any way other than semantics or other wastes of time.
The second premise is testier, and there are two ways to go about it. The first way is to believe in the objective existence of “gods”. In this sense then gods would not be concepts, rather we would have concepts of gods. However, there is little to no evidence supporting the existence of gods (with logic only getting you as far as deism or mysticism), so this is a poor route to take. The other way is to accept that Gods were thought up, they were concepts, in the human mind before having any sort of external impact on the world. If you accept this second option (which is much more supported than option one) you accept premise two. From there the logic to the conclusion is extremely simple.
So how do concepts and gods compare with thoughts, and why does this conclusion matter? As we already said, concepts are a type of thought, and both exist in the same sense. The same ways we argue for thoughts is how we understand concepts. As with thoughts, concepts can be seen to be held by others and they can be seen to impact the world in objective and measurable ways. The two are the same in this sense. Further, meditation, prayer, and other forms of “divine” interaction show in brain imaging and physiological tests just as with thoughts. This makes gods, as concepts, tested the same ways as thought, just as real as thoughts. One would never argue that a chair that was conceived of, created, and impacts the objective would was non-existent just because the chair did not exist prior to the concept. You would not even argue that the chair has no impact on the world because its impact is blatantly self-evident every time someone sits down! So why would you say that a god that was conceived of, brought in the world via preaching / practice and idol making, and have MASSIVE impacts on the objective world is nonexistent?
Why is it important? Well, why is any tool important whether physical or ideological? We have seen the powers behind these gods, the impact they can cause on the objective world. Better yet, by understanding them as creations without prior existence we can see them and use them as tool to cause immense change in ourselves and the species.
