The Ontological Argument
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- Created on: 13-03-19 16:39
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- The Ontological Argument
- Versions
- St Anselm of Canterbury
- 1. Defined God as "that than which nothing greater can be conceived".
- "Therefore, Lord, not only are you that than which nothing greater can be conceived, but you are also something greater than can be conceived."
- 2. Things can exist either in the mind or reality.
- 3. Even the atheist must have a definition of God even just to refute his existence therefore God exists in the mind.
- 4. Things are better if they exist in the mind and in reality.
- 5 God is "something-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-conceived" but if he only existed in the mind we could conceive of things better than him.
- 6. This is a contradiction of terms.
- 7. Therefore, God must exist in reality and his existence is necessary.
- 6. This is a contradiction of terms.
- 5 God is "something-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-conceived" but if he only existed in the mind we could conceive of things better than him.
- 4. Things are better if they exist in the mind and in reality.
- 3. Even the atheist must have a definition of God even just to refute his existence therefore God exists in the mind.
- 2. Things can exist either in the mind or reality.
- "Therefore, Lord, not only are you that than which nothing greater can be conceived, but you are also something greater than can be conceived."
- 1. Defined God as "that than which nothing greater can be conceived".
- Rene Descartes
- Believed we are born with innate ideas of God.
- Descartes definition of God as a 'supremely perfect being', is the basis of his argument.
- Existence is a predicate of a supremely perfect being so God must exist to avoid being self-contradictory.
- Trying to imagine God without the predicate of existence is illogical, like trying to imagine a triangle without three sides.
- Existence is a predicate of a supremely perfect being so God must exist to avoid being self-contradictory.
- Alvin Platinga
- Uses 'modal logic' which uses the concept of 'possible words'
- Defines God as a 'maximally great being'
- Such a being would have to exist necessarily not contingently.
- Such a being in a possible wo in a possible world is either necessary or impossible
- Existence is only impossible if it is self-contradictory.
- Such a being is not impossible in infinite possible worlds
- If it is possible in a possible world, it must be necessary in all in order to be maximally great
- Such a being is not impossible in infinite possible worlds
- Existence is only impossible if it is self-contradictory.
- Such a being in a possible wo in a possible world is either necessary or impossible
- Such a being would have to exist necessarily not contingently.
- Defines God as a 'maximally great being'
- Uses 'modal logic' which uses the concept of 'possible words'
- St Anselm of Canterbury
- Opposition
- Immanuel Kant
- Anselm
- Existence is not a predicate. Saying 'X exists' gives no information about X. But saying 'X is tall' and 'X is female' does.
- A predicate must give information about X
- If 'X exists' gives information about X
- 'X doesn't exist' tells X lacks information
- But how can that which does not exist lack something?
- 'X doesn't exist' tells X lacks information
- If 'X exists' gives information about X
- A predicate must give information about X
- Existence is not a predicate. Saying 'X exists' gives no information about X. But saying 'X is tall' and 'X is female' does.
- Descartes
- Anselm
- Immanuel Kant
- Ontology is the branch of philosophy which explores the whole concept of existence.
- According to TOA, almost everything that exists does so contingently except for God whose existence is necessary.
- A priori
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