Theistic Arguments

As with my "Arguments for Atheism" page, arguments for God's existence can be divided into categories based on the following taxonomy.

I. Impossibility Arguments

A. Internal Inconsistency Arguments

B. External Inconsistency Arguments

C. Performative or Pragmatic Inconsistency Arguments

II. Improbability or Evidential Arguments

A. C-Inductive Arguments

B. P-Inductive Arguments

C. Inference to the Best Explanation (IBE) Arguments

D. Bayesian Arguments

III. Pragmatic Arguments

In what follows, I will list various theistic arguments and where they fit into this taxonomy. This list will be developed over time; I am well aware that it is incomplete.

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I. Impossibility Arguments

An impossibility argument is an argument which concludes either that X cannot exist, happen, or be true; or one cannot take some action regarding X (such as believing X) without contradicting a presupposition or entailment of X.

A. Internal Inconsistency Arguments

Internal inconsistency arguments attempt to show that a proposition is inconsistent. I am not aware of any arguments which attempt to demonstrate an internal inconsistency in the proposition, "God does not exist." I consider ontological arguments to be external inconsistency arguments and transcendental arguments to be performative/pragmatic inconsistency arguments.

B. External Inconsistency Arguments

1. The Metaphysical Possibility of God's Existence: 

Argument Name	Author(s)	My Verdict
Modal Ontological Argument	Plantinga	Unsound

2. Big Bang Cosmology: 

Argument Name	Author(s)	My Verdict
Kalam Cosmological Argument	Craig	Unsound (see here, here, here)

3. Life-Permitting Universe: 

Argument Name	Author(s)	My Verdict
'Fine-Tuning' Argument	Craig	Unsound

4. Objective Moral Values 

Argument Name	Author(s)	My Verdict
Axiological Argument	Craig	Unsound (see here, here, here)

5. Objective Moral Duties

Argument Name	Author(s)	My Verdict
Moral Argument	Craig	Unsound (see here, here, here)
Theistic Argument from Evil	Plantinga	Unsound (see here, here)

C. Performative or Pragmatic Inconsistency Arguments

Argument Name	Author(s)	My Verdict
Pragmatic Inconsistency of Believing Atheism	Bahnsen	Unsound (see here)
Transcendental Argument for God's Existence (TAG)	Bahnsen	Unsound (see here)
Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism (EAAN)	Plantinga	Unsound (see here)
Argument from Reason	Reppert	Unsound
Flip or Turn of Atheistic Arguments from Evil	Various	Unsound (see here, here)

II. Improbability or Evidential Arguments

A. C-Inductive Arguments

Argument Name	Author(s)	My Verdict
Cosmological Argument	Swinburne	Unsound (see here)

B. P-Inductive Arguments

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C. Inference to the Best Explanation (IBE) Arguments

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D. Bayesian Arguments

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III. Pragmatic Arguments

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