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Single Idea 20312

[filed under theme 28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / d. Religious Experience ]

Full Idea

Choosing the objective way enters upon the entire approximation-process by which it is proposed to bring God to light objectively. But this is in all eternity impossible, because God is a subject, and therefore exist only for subjectivity in inwardness.

Gist of Idea

God cannot be demonstrated objectively, because God is a subject, only existing inwardly

Source

Søren Kierkegaard (Concluding Unscientific Postscript [1846])

Book Ref

'Existentialism', ed/tr. Solomon,Robert C. [Modern Library 1974], p.18

A Reaction

[pg in 711] This seems to have something like Wittgenstein's problem with a private language - that with no external peer-review it is unclear what the commitment is.

The 5 ideas with the same theme [proving God's existence from direct human experience]:

20312 God cannot be demonstrated objectively, because God is a subject, only existing inwardly [Kierkegaard]
18976 Private experience is the main evidence for God [James]
20710 Maybe an abnormal state of mind is needed to experience God? [Davies,B]
20711 A believer can experience the world as infused with God [Davies,B]
20709 The experiences of God are inconsistent, not universal, and untestable [Davies,B]