General The Axiology of Theism

[Old School]

The Axiology of Theism​

The existential question about God asks whether God exists, but the axiology of theism addresses the question of what value-impact, if any, God’s existence does (or would) have on our world and its inhabitants. There are two prominent answers to the axiological question about God. Pro-theism is the view that God’s existence does (or would) add value to our world. Anti-theism, by contrast, is the view that God’s existence does (or would) detract from the value of our world. Philosophers have observed that the answer to the axiological question may vary depending on its target and scope. For instance, assessments about God’s value-impact could made from an impersonal perspective without reference to individuals, or from a personal perspective with reference to the value-impact of God only for a particular person or persons. Axiological assessments can also take into account one, some, or all of the purported advantages and downsides of God’s existence.

No general consensus has emerged in the literature regarding the correct answer(s) to the axiological question about God. Some philosophers argue that the answer to the question is obvious, or that the very question itself is unintelligible. For instance, it might be unintelligible to the many theists who hold that if God does not exist then nothing else would exist. So, it is impossible to compare a world with God to a world without God. The most promising argument in support of anti-theism in the literature is the Meaningful Life Argument, which suggests that God’s existence would make certain individuals’ lives worse, for those individuals have life plans so intimately connected with God’s non-existence that, if it turned out God exists, their lives would lose meaning if God were to exist. The most promising argument for pro-theism is best understood as a cluster of arguments pointing to many of the purported advantages of God’s existence including divine intervention (that is, God performing miracles that help people) and the impossibility of gratuitous evil on theism. Additionally, some pro-theists claim that since God is infinitely good that any state of affairs with God is also infinitely good. To date, the literature has focused on comparing the axiological value of theism (especially Christianity) to atheism (especially naturalism). Future work will likely include axiological assessments of the other religious and non-religious worldviews. Read in details about this interesting topic here The Axiology of Theism | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (utm.edu)