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Single Idea 5610

[from 'Critique of Pure Reason' by Immanuel Kant, in 28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / b. Ontological Proof critique ]

Full Idea

If you concede that every existential proposition is synthetic, then how would you assert that the predicate of existence may not be cancelled without contradictions?

Gist of Idea

If an existential proposition is synthetic, you must be able to cancel its predicate without contradiction

Source

Immanuel Kant (Critique of Pure Reason [1781], B626/A598)

Book Reference

Kant,Immanuel: 'Critique of Pure Reason', ed/tr. Guyer,P /Wood,A W [CUO 1998], p.566


A Reaction

The point is that the Ontological Argument claims that "God does not exist" is a contradiction. Kant is echoing Hume here. The proposition that 'nothing exists' hardly sounds like a logical impossibility