Saturday, December 19, 2015

A Reductio ad Absurdum for the existence of the Logos

The Logos is defined as that which orders the cosmos.

Prove A: The Logos exists.
Assume ~A: The Logos does not exist.
~A -> B: If the Logos does not exist, then nothing can be known.
~B: Something can be known.
Hence, ~~A: by modus tollens.
Therefore, A: by negation.

I think the most controversial premise is (~A -> B). Why think this is true? Consider a crooked line. Would you know that the line is crooked unless you knew what a straight line looks like? Of course not. Likewise, if there is nothing that orders the cosmos, then all we have is chaos, and whatever is claimed to be knowledge is misguided.

In addition, I think we can demonstrate that the Logos is eternal (existing at all times)* and indestructible.  Here's why: Whatever is intelligible is ordered, even if there is nobody to observe it.  Hence, there is no time at which order is non-existent.  Since the Logos is needed for order, it follows that there is no time at which it can fail to exist.  Therefore, the Logos exists, and is eternal and indestructible.

*Eternality can refer to at least two things: 1) Timelessness, which is existence literally without time; and 2) Omnitemporality, which is existence within time, but enduring through all moments of time.  The argument for the existence of the Logos above is consistent with either view of eternality.

No comments:

Post a Comment