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    Kant's insight that existence is not a predicate entails ... — Carmelics
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    Supports→The ontological argument fails because we cannot know or rationally presume that it is really possible for the divine perfections to be jointly exemplified.

    Kant's insight that existence is not a predicate entails that 'necessarily existing being' smuggles an existential claim into the concept of divine perfection itself.

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    1 reason for
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    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.Kant correctly showed existence adds nothing to a concept's content; it's a positing of the concept itself, not a predicate within it.
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    • 2.Defining God as 'perfect being' conceptually excludes existence, making necessary existence an external addition to the definition.
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    • 3.The ontological argument illicitly smuggles existence into God's essence by treating perfection as necessarily entailing actuality.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
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    • 1.Kant's doctrine applies to empirical predicates; necessity itself may function differently, making necessary existence not a hidden premise.
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    • 2.Defining perfection as 'the maximal degree of all positive properties' may analytically include necessary existence without smuggling.
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    • 3.The claim conflates conceptual analysis with metaphysical truth; Kant's insight about predicates doesn't settle what God's nature actually requires.
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    Modality & Possibility1 linkedNatural Theology1 linked

    Related

    Defining God as 'perfect being' conceptually excludes existence, making necessar...Defining perfection as 'the maximal degree of all positive properties' may analy...Kant correctly showed existence adds nothing to a concept's content; it's a posi...Kant's doctrine applies to empirical predicates; necessity itself may function d...
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    The claim conflates conceptual analysis with metaphysical truth; Kant's insight ...The ontological argument fails because we cannot know or rationally presume that...The ontological argument illicitly smuggles existence into God's essence by trea...

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