Keyword: Theistic Proofs, Evidentialism, Fideism, Reformed Epistemology, Wājib al-Wujūd, Logical
necessity
Purpose: This QOM presents and examines the standard arguments for the existence of God and the rational support for theistic belief in general. The theistic arguments that have been developed throughout Islamic intellectual history are the main subject of this monograph with a survey of
1) the ontological argument,
2) the cosmological argument
3) the teleological argument,
4) and other arguments if possible. One of the questions that should be responded to or understood by the end of the monograph is whether belief in God needs to rest on rational arguments or whether it can be “basis” in the framework of beliefs.
In that regard a smaller section on the argument that evidence is not necessary for rational belief in God —knowing God without Arguments—(evidentialism) and the problems with the solution of reformed epistemology might be beneficial
Specific Guidelines
General style is making the argument: Writing an essay that aims to demonstrate the proof ” why should we even think that God exists.. Well Ghazali gives us this sketch” which is then explicated by the author for the reader and entertains some obvious objections and solves them.. integrating historical components but still focused on the crux. Ghazāli’s Qistas al-Mustaqīm is a good example of this. The approach is to tackle the questions directly (confessionally) with reference to certain recognisable names that serve as archetypes of these ideas. Not historical style paper.
