Was the sentence, “People don’t exist” TRUE, before people existed?
P1: Logical absolutes exist.
P2: Logical absolutes are conceptual.
P3: Concepts exist in the mind ONLY.
P4: Logical absolutes would exist even if our minds did not.
P5: Therefore, logical absolutes are transcendent.
P6: Since logical absolutes are transcendent and conseptual, they MUST exist in a transcendent mind.
P7: This transcendent mind is what we call “God”.
Conclusion: God exists
The Transcendental Argument has its roots in the philosophical struggles of the 18th century, particularly in response to the skepticism of David Hume and the critical philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Hume’s radical skepticism questioned the very basis of causality, induction, and human knowledge, leaving reason itself in jeopardy. In response, Kant attempted to defend reason by proposing that the human mind imposes structures like space, time, and causality onto our experiences. However, Kant’s solution divorced human knowledge from the reality of God’s creation, leading to greater confusion. Modern Christian thinkers later built on these historical insights, crafting the Transcendental Argument to demonstrate that only the existence of the Biblical God can provide the necessary foundation for reason, logic, morality, and all intelligibility. As Scripture affirms, “For in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).
The Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God (TAG) is a powerful and unique approach to Christian apologetics. Unlike traditional arguments that try to stack evidence piece by piece, TAG asserts that the very foundation of rational thought, logic, morality, and science itself presupposes the existence of the God of Scripture. In other words, without God, there would be no reason to trust reason itself. TAG challenges unbelievers by asking: “On what basis can you even make sense of the world without acknowledging the Creator?” As Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of YHWH is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
The non-believer might say she doesn’t believe in “Words”, but then has to use words to explain why she doesn’t believe in words.
TAG begins by recognizing that certain realities—such as laws of logic, moral absolutes, and the uniformity of nature—are immaterial, universal, unchanging, and yet absolutely necessary for rational thought and meaningful experience. Yet, atheistic worldviews, whether materialistic or evolutionary, have no explanation for such realities. If the universe were merely the result of random chance over billions of years (a claim we must wholly reject, according to Genesis 1 and Exodus 20:11), then there would be no basis for trusting our senses, our minds, or the so-called “laws” of logic. The Bible teaches that God created mankind in His image (Genesis 1:26–27), and thus, we are able to think, reason, and understand because our Creator is a rational, moral, and purposeful Being.
The unbeliever, while trying to argue against God, must borrow from the Christian worldview just to make their arguments. This is the heart of TAG: it exposes the inconsistency of those who deny God’s existence but still want to rely on concepts like truth, reason, and morality. Romans 1:20 powerfully reminds us, “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” God’s existence is not merely probable—it is necessary for the possibility of knowledge itself.
Truth requires a standard by which it is true in order to be true.
Ultimately, the Transcendental Argument glorifies YHWH by refusing to put Him on trial in man’s court. It insists that God is the necessary precondition for all reasoning, science, and morality. It aligns perfectly with the Biblical truth that “In Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Rather than assuming neutrality, TAG stands firmly on the rock of Scripture, affirming that faith in God is the only reasonable foundation for making sense of anything. All who reject this foundation are left standing on sand (Matthew 7:26–27), exposed by their own inconsistency.
C.S. Lewis’s Transcendental Argument for God (Article)
C.S. Lewis – Case for Christianity (Audiobook 1.5 hours)
Good dialog talking to a non-believer
Extremely in-depth 15 hours of lecture for graduate level Philosophy/Theology students
Dr Greg Bahnsen – Transcendental Arguments