History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.3

v7.c95.3

²⁴²⁹ Vide also F. W. West-way's 'Obsessions and convictions of the human intellect' (Blackie & Son, 1938), which adds a fifth to James' four viz., ontological argument (the very idea or concept of God makes the existence of God requisite) pp. 378-80. W. James in 'Pragmatism' (p 109, ed 1910) states that the evidence for the existence of God lies primarily in inner personal experience Mr Westway (on p 374) gives a definite answer that there is no proof of the existence of God, but (on p. 387) he admits that the argument from design carries an extremely high degree of probability and that he believes that the Universe is not merely a chance-made affair as some philosophers believe. The argument from design (for God's existence) is held to have been shattered by the theory of evolution. If everything has a cause, it is also argued, why should God not have a cause? And it is said by some that there is no reason to suppose that the world had a beginning at all This is the view of famous Mīmāṁsakas like Kumārila. Vide above pp 1209-1210 and note 1963. H. G. Wells in his 'You can't be too careful' (London 1942. p. 282) holds that the idea of God's omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence must be *(Continued from last page)* abandoned, since, according to him, these are preposterous absolutes'. On the other hand Dr. F. W. Jones in his work 'Design and purpose' (London, 1942) puts forward the view that many people are in danger of losing sight of the truth that the Cosmos is an ordered entity and that many have lost belief in the purpose of human life (p 13). The teleological argument may strengthen the faith of a person who already believes in God, but it appears that it cannot create faith in God in the case of one who does not subscribe to that view Abel Jones in 'In search of truth' (1945) holds that the three main arguments for the existence of God are cosmological, teleological and ontological.