Only the hypothesis of God takes us out of solipsism

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Parent debateThis argument is used in the debate Does God exist?.
Keywords: God, Reality, Metaphysical realism, Solipsism[ edit ].

SummarySummary

The world is essentially deceptive: my senses are fallible, my reasoning is fragile, my opinions fluctuate. Even the feeling of conviction or reality of a thing can be false, as in the case of madmen or when seeing a mirage. What proof do I have that the outside world exists as I see it, and that I'm not in the Matrix? What proof do I have that other people exist, and are not projections of my own mind? How do I know that this world is real, and not just a big dream? This is the question of solipsism. I know I exist ("I think, therefore I am"), but I don't know whether the perceived world is an effect of my mind. To escape this question, I have to posit that my immediate perception is not deceptive, that I'm not crazy; to do this, I have to assume that God guarantees the truth of my immediate impressions. So I have to posit that God exists in order to posit that the world is real.

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ReferencesReferences

Arguments forJustifications

Arguments againstObjections

  • Argument againstThe world is not deceptive
  • Argument againstTo constitute myself as a subject, I need others
  • Argument againstSolipsism is a false problem

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