Preliminary communication
(IN)VALIDITY OF METAPHYSICS AS A SCIENCE: KVIRIN VASILJ ABOUT THE EVIDENCE OF GOD’S EXISTENCE
Ivica Musić
orcid.org/0000-0002-8434-3742
; University of Mostar
Abstract
The paper examines Kvirin Vasilj’s opinion on the possibility of scientifically grounded theorizing
about God and on giving evidence of his existence. According to Kvirin Vasilj, the meaningfulness
and validity of metaphysics depends on this. Although he believes that in a way every person is in
the possession of a spontaneous awareness of God, Vasilj thinks that it is possible to prove God’s
existence scientifically. Nevertheless, in none of the traditional proofs he recognizes the argumentational
power that would lead the reason to the incontestable conclusion that God does exist because
everybody makes use of only recognitive syllogisms that in principle cannot produce any new or
original cognition. Vasilj believes that God’s existence cannot be proved, unless you first prove the
finality of the universe in time as well as the effectiveness of every being in their whole essence.
Bearing this in mind, he developes a highly complex proof procedure in which the following terms
play a special role: limitedness, historicity, mutual dependence and actual constitution of natural
beings. However, having analyzed Vasilj’s critiques, large similarities with Kant’s critiques are
noticed. As regards his evidence, we conclude that it is consistently and correctly presented, but also
that his proof procedure is far from the absolute evidence that he was striving for.
Keywords
Kvirin Vasilj; metaphysics; God; a priori evidence; a posteriori evidence; systolic cognition.
Hrčak ID:
233745
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2018.
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