I'm glad you were able to figure this out on your own. However, I fear you don't understand what it's saying.



It means that the possibility of p is necessary.


The phrase "necessarily p" is logically equivalent to "not possible that not-p"
The phrase "possibly p" is logically equivalent to "not necessarily not-p"



So if you are a master native of Arabic but don't know any other languages, you don't know Arabic well. Got it.



It is a definition. Plantinga chooses whether it is true or false (it is implied he chooses true).

It's his definition of what he wants the argument to consider as God.

This post was edited by Voyaging on Oct 12 2012 08:53pm

simple example here, look at the diamonds as "possibly" and rectangles as "necessary" and the little j on it's side things as "not" and fill p with whatever the hell you want

the double sided arrow says one is true if and only if the other is true



e.g. it's possible that i will die today if and only if it's not necessary that i live today

Oh, shit. Now reading back over the argument, I see that I mistakenly took 5 for 4. How does 5 follow from the rest? Isn't that the same as saying that since something is possible it is necessary?

This post was edited by AEtheric on Oct 12 2012 09:00pm

Yes, exactly.

somewhat morbid as my grandfather passed away today, best example that came to mind to avoid excessive "nots" :/

This post was edited by duffman316 on Oct 12 2012 09:05pm

Sorry to hear that. I found a good euology today, by coincidence:

Do not Stand at My Grave and Weep

By Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there, I did not die.

Sorry to hear.



4 says that there is a possible world such that if it were actual, a maximally great being would exist. This means that it would be impossible for that being to not exist in any possible world (which is the same as saying it necessarily exists). Therefore a maximally excellent being exists.

Remember that

maximally great = maximally excellent in all possible worlds

This post was edited by Voyaging on Oct 12 2012 09:22pm

That doesn't make sense. That's like saying it's possible a unicorn could exist, therefore unicorns exist.

No, it's not. Reread my post.

"4 says that there is a possible world such that if it were actual, a maximally great being would exist."

Well, then I dispute that there is a possible world where it could exist.