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Atheism

Necessary Intelligence

2 min read 316 words

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Glossary

Intentionality: The quality of mental states or propositions of being about something. For example, the thought “the sky is blue” is about the sky. Intentionality implies that a mind or intellect is capable of intending or referring to something.

Normativity: The capacity of a proposition or law to guide or govern what ought to be thought, believed, or done. In logic, normativity implies that some thoughts or propositions can be judged as correct or incorrect.

Intellect: An entity that is capable of thought, intention, judgment, and understanding.

Laws of Thought: The foundational principles of logic and rationality lile the LEM, LNC and LOI

Occam’s Razor: A philosophical principle stating that entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity. (e.g., one necessary intellect over many).

Argument

P1: If there are necessarily-subsisting objects that possess both intentionality and normativity, then those objects subsist in at least one necessarily-existing intellect. (intentionality presupposes something that is able to intend, whereas normativity presupposes something that is able to judge/evaluate)

P2: There are the Laws of Thought, which are necessarily-subsisting objects that possess both intentionality and normativity. (all propositions possess intentionality, and the Laws of Thought are modally necessary propositions that possess normativity)

P3: The Laws of Thought subsist in at least one necessarily-existing intellect. (from 1 and 2)

P4: There cannot be more than one necessarily existing intellect. (via Occam’s Razor and separate arguments for simplicity in the “Necessary Foundation”)

P5: The Laws of Thought subsist in only one necessarily-existing intellect. (from 3 and 4)

P6: If the Laws of Thought subsist in only one necessarily existing intellect, then there is a necessarily existing intellect in which logical truths subsist. (the Laws of Thought are logical truths)

P7: The Laws of Thought subsist in only one necessarily existing intellect. (restatement of 5)

C: Therefore, there is a necessarily-existing intellect in which logical truths subsist.(from 6 and 7)