The Relevance of Hindu God Concepts and Arguments Proving the Existence of God Perspective Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
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Vol. 4 No. 2 October 2020 THE RELEVANCE OF HINDU GOD CONCEPTS AND ARGUMENTS PROVING THE EXISTENCE OF GOD PERSPECTIVE GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ By: Krisna S. Yogiswari Sekolah Tinggi Agama Hindu Negeri Mpu Kuturan Singaraja Email: [email protected] Received: June 23, 2020 Accepted: October 12, 2020 Published: October 31, 2020 Abstract Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is a German philosopher who provides a comprehensive argument about the existence of God. Although Leibniz has made a mistake in thinking about God, the evidence of God’s presence offered by him gives us an example and a strength to deepen our faith: Leibniz’s courage is to increase his confidence and his power to maintain God's existence. The arguments presented by Leibniz are very relevant to the concept of God in Hinduism. It also seems that with evidence of harmony that had already been built before, Leibniz fell into the trap of atheism implicitly because it denied the existence of a personal God and only relied on internal law. Regarding the harmony that had already been built before, Leibniz explained that civil laws were working in monade. Monade are predetermined natures, which result in having one characteristic that governs everything. But the best is that not only for the whole in general but also for individuals, especially individuals who have a love for God. Keyword: Leibniz, Existence, God, Hinduism 175 Vol. 4 No.2 October 2020 I. INTRODUCTION qualitative philosophical research approach, The issue and debate about the with the existence of God as a material existence of God is a line of continuity that object and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s flows and leads to the entire history of the perspective as a formal object. This philosophy of God, especially Laodicea. So research data use literature studies relating there is a map of evidence of God’s to the existence of God and the argument existence, which is reflected by from Leibniz regarding the presence of philosophers. Certainly can help humans in God. Data is processed using the understanding and reaching out through a hermeneutic method. The term Hindu light of reason and reality. The Teodicea (Hinduism) refers to not only the use of the map generally concludes that God is the term Hindu as the formal religion in cause of everything that exists, and at the Indonesia but also the use of the term same time shows that everything that exists Hindu as a widely applied divine has no reason to exist within itself, but that teaching.They after that analyzed through there is something else that is the highest the hermeneutic stage. Of course, the principle. results of data analysis can be objective. One philosopher who is remembered The results of a critical study of the data and contributed vitally in the history of served in a descriptive narrative form. Teodicea is G.W. Leibniz. Leibniz was a pioneer in giving the name Teodicea to this III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION discipline of knowledge, Teodicea, which Discussion about God is a very means “God’s justification.” Leibniz has controversial subject-matter that will outlined his five arguments about the always exist. The deity in Hinduism has a existence of God implicitly in his works, very broad and comprehensive namely: (1) cosmological evidence, (2) understanding. Several forms of belief in evidence of eternal truth, (3) evidence of Hinduism also intersect with various ways harmony that has already built before, (4) (systems) of worship, such as animism, ontological evidence, and ( 5) capital monotheism, henotheism, pantheism, and arguments. The discussion of the five cases others. Hindu Divine Science, known as of God’s existence done by taking two Brahma Widya, briefly explains that directions. The first is a priori course, and humans are theological creatures who can the second is the a-posteriori course. realize themselves as the same atman as Evidence of eternal truth, ontological Brahman through the text. Initial evidence, and arguments of modality are understanding becomes the foundation or included in the a priori course. In contrast, fundamental step leading to correct the a-posteriori course includes thinking to understand something. If cosmological and harmony arguments that theology’s logical argument only focuses have already been established previously. on sacred literature or holy books, then Let us investigate the evidence for God’s rationality is only a tool to defend the truth existence as Leibniz put it “The more we of the sacred literature or the scriptures. are illuminated and informed about God’s Theological ontology (the object of work, the more we can find a work that is theology) is God. Therefore, when giving so perfect and satisfying everything we can an explanation of God as the object of think of” (Leibniz, 1873: 1). theology, he must show Him who God is in the sacred text. Hindu theology is often II. METHOD equated with the terms Brahmavidya, The study, entitled “The Relevance of Brahma Tattva, Brahmajnana Tattva, Hindu God Concepts and Arguments Widhitattva. These sciences are what Proving the Existence of God Perspective makes God into two objects, namely (1) Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz” uses a Nirguna Brahman, a God who cannot be 176 Vol. 4 No.2 October 2020 described in words, cannot be described as and depend, then the cause of existence anything. He is the Almighty God Who is must be caused by something that is Everywhere. He is the real “Who Is” certain, There is something that is without anyone holding; and (2) Saguna permanent and unchanging. Furthermore, Brahman, God who is described with Leibniz underlined the perfection that various Names and His attributes according exists in the Universe. The perfection of to nature described. every exist thing is found in the cause as Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646- well as declaring that all the perfection of 1716) is a German philosopher who this universe, even including our souls, is in presented several philosophical arguments God. The reason that in God all perfection about God. His most famous philosophy is given is that no perfection can occur concerns the monad that is closely related unless it is given by “There is a Perfect to the concept of God. In this case, the One” Himself. Perfection comes from and monad is a simple substance that can make is the work of God that He Himself up a larger substance. God as The Supreme destined (Leibniz, 1873: 19). Thus, through Reality that His existence can be proven. the proof of cosmological perfection and The God in question is God Almighty, who cosmological causes the existence of God is is real and living. We need to assert an confirmed. objective attitude because, in modern times, The Universe existence and the many people think that if someone says that perfection of everything that exist shows he believes in God, he is just uttering that there is a principle of reason meaningless words. God is a substance that sufficiency that accompanies it. It is gives meaning to nature but which we can because everything that exists must have still know. At least, strong evidence can be sufficient reason for its existence to be that based on ontology, cosmology, and way and nothing else. The principle of teleology evidence. Based on this reason sufficiency affirms a popular explanation, Leibniz will explain in more principle: zero est sine rational (nothing is detail the arguments for proving God. without reason). Leibniz in Monadology (Leibniz, 2014: 32) presents these a. The Cosmological Evidence arguments as follows: This argument is begun by observing “The second is the principle of reason the Universe simply. Observation of the sufficiency. We truly hold it that no world invites a question within: Why does fact can be true or come into being everything exist? To answer the question, and no statement can be true, without Leibniz gives the following argument; (1) sufficient reason to make it so and not The existed thing must have an explanation different, although these reasons in its inevitable nature and the answer is often remain unknown to us.” undoubtedly God, (2) The Universe is an The principle of reason sufficiency existed thing so that it has existence caused also includes causa finalists. The final by God. Both prepositions may elaborate reason is everything that exists must be more deeply to show a cosmological point sought in a necessary substance, and we that explains the presence of God call the substance as God. comprehensively. To deepen the principle of reason This argument builds up the case that sufficiency that proves the existence of the leading cause of the Universe is God. God, Leibniz also described it using two The Universe has Caitanya in God and does realities, namely mechanical reality and not have causa in itself. The universe has metaphysical reality as a demonstration of its causes in God and does not have causes the principle of reason sufficiency. Leibniz, in itself. If there is a universe that is a in mechanical fact, observes the contingent, that is, someone will change movements and origins of matter in the 177 Vol. 4 No.2 October 2020 physics world. It is a change in a subject Science states that the beginning of creation that moves by something else. The cause of was a big bang, but Hinduism started from the action is found in the new corporate God’s will to create the world (Donder, principle of God. 2007) Regarding the origin of matter, the principle of reason sufficiency explains that b. The Previously Built Harmony the source of thing cannot originate from The previously constructed harmony itself, but within an eternal material argument is typical of Leibniz’s proof in substance, namely God.