Rational Mind Arguement

What is Standard Argument Form?

 

The standard form of an argument is a way of presenting the argument which makes clear which are premises, how many premises there are and which proposition is the conclusion. In standard form, the conclusion of the argument is listed last.

 

In a standard argument, you must have at least one premise and only one conclusion. 

 

 

P= Premise (add a number with each premise you add such as P3, it is your third premise). These are your reasons for your conclusion.

 

SC= Sub conclusion (use this if you need to make a conclusion in something else before the main conclusion of the arguement. Usually this is only done if another conclusion needs to be made to get to the final conclusion).

 

C= Conclusion (This is the concluding result of your premises, this is your last statement that determines the result of the arguement).

 

Why does Standard Argumentation Matter?

 

It matters because this is the standard way widely accepted by the world as the structure and form for an academic argument. For many of the arguments that directly deal with reason, this format will  be used to show the unity in process with current academic tradition and christian apologetics. 

 

The Assumption

 

We like knowing our minds are somewhat trustworthy. Trustworthy enough to order our surroundings and ideas into categories that help us understand the world in the most objective way possible. We want to know we are operating from a certainty that what we are doing is truly what we are doing. I want to know when I say hello to my neighbour what is coming out isn’t “I hate you”. 

 

A lot of atheists tend to assume the belief in God is an anti intellectual belief and that atheism is the rational one. Something easily assumed here is that we even have the ability to think rationally and objectively in the first place, this is assumed by a number of atheists. The good thing is we can have a rational mind but it doesn’t come from the atheist worldview.

 

Rational Mind Argument

 

P1 We know through metaphysical laws that something that has a beginning cannot be derived from nothing.

 

P2 Since the laws of reality dictate that something that has a beginning cannot come from nothing, it is reasonable to assume that this also applies to all things that have a beginning.

 

P3   If the universe began or had always existed by irrational forces (which would be caused or existed with no purpose or mind behind it) then it can only create things with no mind and no rationality behind it.

 

C   If you believe the universe has no rationality to it then neither do you have the ability to think rationally, making all your thoughts irrational and the idea of rational minds in humans ceases to exist and in turn becomes a product of your imagination.

 

The Good News

 

If you believe in a rational creator then that allows for the creation to be rationally minded. The belief in God allows for us to understand that we do think at least somewhat rationally, whereas the absence of a belief in God does not allow atheists to believe that they can think rationally. Science and rationality in a theistic worldview are backed up by logic rather than in an atheist worldview.

 

If you think your thoughts have a rational mind behind them then you have to believe in God.