If God is possible, then he exists necessarily. But God is possible, therefore he exists”. This is the extreme synthesis of Gödel’s most famous result. Two researchers -Christoph Benzmuller and Bruno Woltzenlogel Paleo- would have confirmed the result thanks to the help of a computer-assisted proof.

 

Gödel postulated that, by definition, there cannot exist anything for which no greater can be conceived, which he would referr to as a supreme being or, more simply, God. He proposed an axiomatic model to prove the existence of God based on modal logic, which distinguishes between necessary truths and contingent truths. ”Every positive property is necessarily positive. By definition, God has only positive properties. Necessary existence is a positive property. Therefore, if God is possible, it has necessarily the existence property. The system of all positive properties is compatible. Thus God is possible, and therefore it exists necessarily”. It is important to add that Gödel was very religious, and he never published his result while alive because he was afraid to be misunderstood. The result was published only nine years after his death.

Now the two scientists showed that Gödel’s proof was mathematically correct. Nevertheless, the two logicians underline that such a result has more to do with the fact that there exists a superior technology which can help science, rather than with the fact that God exists or not. “The ontological proof of existence of God- Benzmueller told- was an example of a mathematical inaccessible concept which we solved with our technology”.

Most importantly, the result opens new perspectives for a computer-assisted theoretical philosophy. The authors conclude by stating that critical discussion of the underlying concepts, definitions and axioms remains a human responsibility, but the computer can assist in building and checking rigorously correct logical arguments.

Reference:  Christoph Benzmüller and Bruno Woltzenlogel Paleo (2013). Formalization, Mechanization and Automation of Godel’s Proof of God’s Existence preprint arxive