The Common Consent Argument for the Existence of Nature Spirits. Issue 2 (2nd April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Smith, Tiddy
• Is Part Of: Australasian journal of philosophy. Volume 98:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 334
• Page End: 348
• Publication Date: 2020-04-02
• Subjects: animism -- indigenous religion -- common consent -- independent agreement -- religious diversity -- religious disagreement; Philosophy -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; 105
• DOI: 10.1080/00048402.2019.1621912
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0004-8402

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The traditional common consent argument for the existence of God has largely been abandoned—and rightly so. In this paper, I attempt to salvage the strongest version of the argument. Surprisingly, the strongest version of the argument supports the proposition, not that a god exists, but that animism is probably true and that such things as mountain, river, and forest spirits probably exist. I consider some plausible debunking arguments, ultimately finding that it is trickier to debunk the animist's claims than it might first appear. I conclude that there exists one significant argument in favour of animism that has hitherto gone unstated in the philosophy of religion.