Argument from Desire

"There comes a time when one asks, even of Shakespeare, even of Beethoven, "Is that all there is?" - John Paul Sartre

Hello all, today I would like to take a look at one of my favorite arguments for the existence of God. It is an argument that CS Lewis develops in his book, 'Mere Christianity', and it is still heavily used by Christians today (whether they realize it or not).

Argument from Desire

Here is the argument (thanks be to Peter Kreeft's website for the format):

1. Every natural, innate desire in us corresponds to some real object that can satisfy that desire.



2. But there exists in us a desire which nothing in time, nothing on earth, no creature can satisfy.


3. Therefore there must exist something more than time, earth and creatures, which can satisfy this desire.


4. This something is what people call "God" and "life with God forever."


 
Analysis
The Argument from Desire is what I would consider to be a very effective argument for two reasons: 1.) It is a logical argument; it appeals to reason. 2.) It is a personal argument.
 
The argument's logical nature is revealed in the first premise, in which Lewis states that every desire has some form of fulfillment in the natural world. For example, we get hungry, there is food. We get thirsty, there is water. This seems to be the case with every natural desire we have. Once having shown this to be true, Lewis moves on and does a little bit of inductive reasoning (an impressive bit I might add). Lewis observes that there appears to be a desire within each of us that nothing in this world can seem to satisfy. He then, through inductive reasoning, comes to the conclusion that humans as a whole are trying to satisfy a desire, yet they cannot seem to do it. From here, Lewis concludes that there must exist something beyond this world that can satisfy his desire, or as he himself says, "If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."
 
Answering an Objection
 
Is Lewis right to assume that everybody has this desire?
 
I believe that he is. My reason for this comes from the fact that I myself can attest to what he is saying. No matter how much I love apologetics, or music, or philosophy, or people, it all seems empty compared to my love for God. In other words, without God in my life, those things would be meaningless. I also feel that an observation of human history can, at the very least, imply this truth to us as well. However, part of what makes this argument so beautiful is the fact that you must answer it for yourself. You cannot say, "Look over there, that man has money and seems to be perfectly happy with life. Therefore, the argument is flawed." That will not suffice for the simple fact that you yourself are not that man, and as a result, you cannot know the deepest workings of his mind and heart. You can only know yours. This argument is very personal, and as such it must be addressed on a personal level. You must look within yourself and ask whether or not what Lewis says is true.
 
In Closing
 
As always, I hope this was helpful to you. I believe that this is a great argument to know for yourself, and for the people around you who may not believe in God. I also highly encourage you to read, 'Mere Christianity, which is the book that this argument is found in. The reason I recommend this to you is because Lewis is able to convey the argument so much better than I can. You simply got a summary here, the book will give you real deal.
 
God bless and Jesus loves you!!
 
-Jon