Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
2 MA Student in Islamic Philosophy and Theology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
Abstract
Among the important issues in the philosophy of religion is the investigation of the existence of God and the assessment of its rationality based on various criteria. Philosophers who do not believe in God and criticize the rationality of faith always insist on different reasons. In today's age, thinkers like Schellenberg rely on the idea of divine hiddenness and try to present an argument against the existence of God. The essence of his argument is based on a kind of theistic attitude based on which God is a benevolent and merciful creator who is infinite in knowledge and power. Relying on this attitude towards God, Schellenberg's argument states that if God exists, then he must reveal himself to us because he is both kind enough and powerful enough to do so. The purpose of this article is to examine and evaluate Schellenberg's argument. In the present study, the authors, while presenting a modus tollens version of Schellenberg's argument, have challenged the logical insufficiency and the existence of a necessary relationship between the antecedent and the consequent. As a result, the lack of visual and non-visual manifestation of God cannot be considered as proof against the existence of God. To explain the lack of logical connection between the premises of Schellenberg's argument, the authors rely on the voluntarism view of faith. The present research method is descriptive-analytical with a critical approach. The result of the research showed that the hiddenness of God cannot justify atheism.
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