God’s existence Sigmund Freud’s Argument

For a long time, philosophers have debated the existence of God, and numerous thinkers have argued for and against it.

To comprehend the existence of God, one must engage in philosophical thought. According to John Chaffee’s book The Philosopher’s Way: Thinking Critically About Deep Concepts, philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, begins with amazement, is a dynamic process, and is useful in becoming a critical thinker. This study uses Chafee’s book to explain God’s existence and comments on the arguments of two philosophers who have opposing views on God’s existence. It disagrees with Freud’s argument that God is a human mind’s creation and supports Aristotle’s argument that God is behind the origin of the universe and the changes in it.

Sigmund Freud’s Argument

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis and a neurologist, argues against God’s existence by theorizing that people’s view of God emanates from the view they have of their fathers. He sets forth that when people find themselves in a cold and cruel world as they grow up, they often tend to look for a sanctuary to offer them protection against the cruel world. He adds that adults hardly turn to their parents to protect them because of their need to maintain their dignity; therefore, they look for another being, a ’Higher Power’, to offer them an asylum in times of trouble. The ’Higher Power’ that Freud refers to is God. His argument indicates that God is simply a human mind’s creation and projection, which emanates from the need and desire of humankind to find protection (Chaffee 20). The proponents of this school of thought believe that God is formed in the image of humanity and that He is the outcome of humankind’s desire and the need for a loving father (Benveniste 2).

Freud’s argument that the religious faith in God only results from deep psychological desire and is baseless since God is the creator of everything in the universe, thus, cannot be created in the mind of humankind (Chaffee 20). His assertion that human beings cling to their religious beliefs due to the comforting nature of such beliefs implies that Christians only develop their faith structures to be psychologically comforted. Nonetheless, this school of thought fails to take into consideration that several philosophies in Christianity are challenging and unsettling. Referring to the scriptures on Mark 1:15, it is evident that following Jesus implies turning away from sins and repenting. The scriptures also set forth that the only precondition to entering the Kingdom of God is repentance. Following Jesus maintains the uncomforting conviction that human beings are sinful thus need salvation through turning away from sinful deeds and repenting. The gospel demands that everyone should take up my cross, deny themselves, and let Jesus be at the helm of their day-to-day life. Therefore, there is no way human beings can create God in their mind.

Aristotle’s Argument

Aristotle, an ancient Greek scientist and philosopher, argues for God’s existence by maintaining that the universe’s existence did not occur naturally on its own and that there was a powerful force behind it. He puts forward that this mighty authority is God and is responsible for keeping the universe in existence and moving everything that moves in it (Chaffee 50). Aristotle believes that an infinite regress is impossible and has a firm conviction that God does not rely on anything to exist. God does not change, lacks the potential to change, never ends, and thus, is eternal. According to Aristotle, eternal things are good and something which exists necessarily is flawless (Karahalis 3).

The universe, together with everything in it, might not be in existence; therefore, we need an explanation of why they exist. Indeed, in cases where two possibilities are there, something has to determine which of the likelihoods is realized. There is substantial reason for the existence of the universe as well as everything in it since they are contingent namely there must be a primary cause. Aristotle states that the only being whose existence has no explanation is the “necessary being,” that is God since He is the cause of everything. Indeed, there was a point in time when the universe and everything in it began to exist (Karahalis 3).

Aristotle’s argument is valid since nothing can change itself, meaning an external force has to act on it. The universe and everything in it could not have come into existence on their own since astronomic discoveries show that the universe has a beginning, a single instance of creation. Besides, the research in molecular biology has led to the discovery of many exquisitely designed cells, and revelation of many pieces of information encoded in every living cell. Undeniably, encoding information in every cell requires high levels of intelligence, therefore, that could not have taken place without the action of a supreme being. The exquisite design of living cells also required the action of a supreme being. Mathematicians and biochemists have performed calculations on the astronomical odds against life evolving from non-life naturally through processes that are unintelligent and concluded that there is no way life could have evolved naturally through unintelligent courses. The only possible cause of its evolution is the action of God. That proves that God exists. Furthermore, the universe operates under natural laws, and such laws could only have come from God (Karahalis 4).

Conclusion

Without a doubt, there is proof that supports the assertion that God exists, for example, the natural laws, order, and constant changes in the universe. Aristotle’s postulation that there is a cause for the existence of the universe and that changes in the world cannot take place naturally is a clear indication that a supreme being, God, exists and controls every process in the universe. Conversely, Freud’s arguments only revolve around the creation of God in the mind of humankind as a result of psychological desires and do not sufficiently prove that God does not exist. For that reason, it is right to conclude that God exists.

Works Cited

Benveniste, Daniel. “Freud and the Question of God.” The Alliance Forum: The Newsletter of the Northwest Alliance for Psychoanalytic Study, 2013, pp. 1-9.

Chaffee, John. The Philosopher’s Way: Thinking Critically about Profound Ideas (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall, 2010.

Karahalis, Eric Anthony. “Philosophy of Religion: Does God Exist?” Philosophy Archives, 2012, pp. 1-6.