Philosophy 272: Handout Lo1

Locke's Proofs Concerning God

There is an Eternal Being

A. [Chapter X, 3]

1. I exist.
2. I have not existed from eternity.
3. Whatever has not existed from eternity has a beginning.
4. Whatever has a beginning was produced by something else.
5. There has existed something from eternity.

B. [Chapter X, 8]

1. There is something.
2. From nothing, nothing comes.
3. There could not be a time when there was nothing.
4. There has existed something from eternity.

The Eternal Being is most powerful [Chapter X, 4]

1. Whatever powers a being has must be gotten from its source.
2. The Eternal Being is the ultimate source of all beings.
3. The Eternal Being is most powerful.

The Eternal Being is most knowing [Chapter x, 5, 9-12]

1. Either there was a time when there was no knowing beings or there has been a knowing being from eternity.
2. If there were a time when there was no knowing beings, then knowing beings must have arisen from unknowing beings.
3. It is impossible for knowing beings to arise from unknowing beings.
4. There is an eternal knowing being.