Kierkegaard

God = Unknown

Cannot demonstrate God’s existence.  (Define “demonstrate”.)

If God doesn’t exist, then we can’t demonstrate his existence
If God does exist, then to attempt the demonstration is nonetheless futile.

Either we know God and then seek to demonstrate his existence (but our knowing him already presupposed this, and therefore the proof is redundant or prejudiced)
Or, what we really seek to do in the proof is to prove that the Unknown, which exists, is God.
This is (a) not an existence proof, and (b) not a proof at all, just conceptual analysis.

The problem with an existence proof:  without intending to, it always ends up conflating existence and the consequences of existence.
Kierkegaard:  reason, then, from existence, and not towards it.

We don’t prove the existence of a rock, or of a suspect on trial.

Slow down.  No rush.  God exists, whether we prove it or not.

Problems with reasoning from deeds to experience:
Napoleon example.  If we’re talking about N’s deeds, we’ve already assumed his existence.  If we’re talking about some deeds, then we can’t prove they’re N’s.

An attack on the teleological argument for God:
The world doesn’t immediately present itself as produced by a wise, good, omnipotent being.  We have to interpret it this way, which shows that we’ve already assumed God’s existence.

1.	uninterpreted experience of universe (doesn’t prove God’s existence), versus
2.	ideal universe (assumes God’s existence).

Former:  constant temptation to doubt… vulnerable to the next disaster.

Cartesian dolls:  they only work when you let them go.
Similarly, God’s existence emerges when we let it go by ceasing to try to demonstrate it.

The leap.  The point isn’t the proof; it’s whatever leads us to construct the proof.  Learn to stop there.

That’s where the strength of any proof lies.  So, throw away the proofs.

Reason unequal to the Unknown – limits of Reason.  (Barrett quote re: intelligence)

God must remain a mere limiting conception.

Or, Reason confuses itself with the other (Unknown) and we create God after our own image.