Marquis De Sade's Argument For The Existence Of God?
It is the intention of this essay to offer analysis of Marquis de Sade’s Dialogue between a priest and dying man. This essay will began by giving an overview of the deist arguments for the existence of God expressed by the priest; this will include the cosmological and theological arguments. This section of the essay will also cover the priest’s belief in God’s power. Afterwards, this essay will look in depth at a passage from this text. In this section of the essay will offer a summary of the dying man’s argument against the existence of God. Finally, this essay will offer analysis of the dying man’s objection to the existence of God; this will include analysis on the dying man’s arguments in favour of empiricism and materialism.
The deist …show more content…
As ‘Death of the Old Regime’ points out: ‘The dying man expresses a commitment to empiricism’ (Barber, 2004, p.235). Towards the end of this passage, the dying man makes points out to priest that he believes God is an illusion. He goes on to tell the priest ‘I need no other argument than that which is supplied by my certain knowledge’ (Anthology, 2003, Part 1, p.65). By saying this the dying man is expressing his believes there is no evidence for the existence of God by use of the five senses. This is believe is evident early in the passage when he mentions to the priest ‘everything is simply what it is and what you see it to be’ (Anthology, 2003, Part 1, p.64). In short, the dying man is telling the priest he sees only matter. Like other empiricists in the eighteenth century, dying man is expressing his believe in the five senses. As the existence of God can be proved within the five senses, God must not exist. When the dying man says he needs no other argument is telling the priest he is made his mind up about the existence of God. Only if the priest is able to proof the existence of God through the five senses would the dying man change his mind. Therefore, this passages show how Marquis de Sade used the character of the dying man to express his belief in empiricism as a reason for repudiating the existence of
The deist …show more content…
As ‘Death of the Old Regime’ points out: ‘The dying man expresses a commitment to empiricism’ (Barber, 2004, p.235). Towards the end of this passage, the dying man makes points out to priest that he believes God is an illusion. He goes on to tell the priest ‘I need no other argument than that which is supplied by my certain knowledge’ (Anthology, 2003, Part 1, p.65). By saying this the dying man is expressing his believes there is no evidence for the existence of God by use of the five senses. This is believe is evident early in the passage when he mentions to the priest ‘everything is simply what it is and what you see it to be’ (Anthology, 2003, Part 1, p.64). In short, the dying man is telling the priest he sees only matter. Like other empiricists in the eighteenth century, dying man is expressing his believe in the five senses. As the existence of God can be proved within the five senses, God must not exist. When the dying man says he needs no other argument is telling the priest he is made his mind up about the existence of God. Only if the priest is able to proof the existence of God through the five senses would the dying man change his mind. Therefore, this passages show how Marquis de Sade used the character of the dying man to express his belief in empiricism as a reason for repudiating the existence of