Explain the concept of God as the necessary being and its relation to the existence of God.

The concept of God as the necessary being is a fundamental aspect of many philosophical arguments for the existence of God. It posits that God is a being whose existence is necessary, meaning that God cannot fail to exist. This concept is closely related to the ontological argument, which seeks to prove the existence of God based on the concept of God as a necessary being.

According to the ontological argument, God is defined as the greatest conceivable being, possessing all perfections. One of these perfections is existence itself. It is argued that if God exists only in the mind or as an idea, then a greater being can be conceived - one that exists both in the mind and in reality. However, since God is defined as the greatest conceivable being, this greater being cannot be conceived. Therefore, it is concluded that God must exist in reality as well.

The concept of God as the necessary being also relates to the cosmological argument, which seeks to establish the existence of God based on the existence of the universe. The cosmological argument posits that everything that exists has a cause, and that there must be a first cause that initiated the chain of causation. This first cause is often identified as God, who is seen as the necessary being that does not require a cause for its existence.

Furthermore, the concept of God as the necessary being is closely tied to the idea of contingency. Contingent beings are those whose existence is dependent on something else, while necessary beings exist by their own nature. It is argued that if everything in the universe is contingent, then there must be a necessary being that explains the existence of contingent beings. This necessary being is often identified as God.

In summary, the concept of God as the necessary being asserts that God's existence is not contingent but rather necessary. This concept is central to various philosophical arguments for the existence of God, such as the ontological and cosmological arguments. It suggests that God is the ultimate explanation for the existence of contingent beings and serves as the foundation for many philosophical discussions on the existence of God.