Spring 2013 // By Matthew Owen

The following is a brief synopsis of Alvin Plantinga’s argumentation for the basic tenet of reformed epistemology. It’s based on ‘Is Belief in God Properly Basic?’ published in the journal Nous (1981) and Chapter 6 of Warranted Christian Belief (Oxford University Press, 2000).

Alvin Plangtinga argues that belief in God is properly basic as follows. Basic beliefs are not necessarily groundless, as Plantinga points out, but can have grounds for their justification and therefore be properly basic. Beliefs are properly basic in the right conditions. The right conditions are the justificatory grounds for proper basic beliefs. If our cognitive faculties, which are aimed at truth, are functioning properly and are in the right conditions they produce proper basic beliefs.

God has created us with such a faculty aimed at the truth of His presence which John Calvin called the sensus divinitatis (sense of divinity). The right conditions for our sensus divinitatis are abundant and in fact everywhere since God’s glory is everywhere. If our belief in God is produced by our sensus divinitatis functioning properly in the right conditions, our belief is properly basic. Belief in God is produced by our sensus divinitatis in the right conditions which are everywhere. Therefore, belief in God is properly basic.

Formal reconstruction of Plantinga’s argument:

  1. Basic beliefs can be justified and therefore be properly basic.
  2. The right conditions are the justificatory grounds for proper basic beliefs.
  3. If our cognitive faculties, which are aimed at truth, are functioning properly in the right conditions they will produce properly basic beliefs.
  4. God created us with a cognitive faculty aimed at the truth of His presence. This faculty is our sensus divinitatis (SD).
  5. Belief in God is produced by our (SD).
  6. The right conditions for this faculty are everywhere since God’s glory is everywhere.
  7. (From 5 & 6) Belief in God is produced by our (SD) in the right conditions.
  8. Therefore, belief in God is properly basic.