Overview of the Ontological Argument
- Created by: Ellarosenwyn
- Created on: 29-03-15 16:45
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- The Ontological Argument
- Anselm's first ontological argument
- The idea of God exists in our minds
- Nothing greater than God can be concieved.
- If God only existed in our minds He would not be as great as one who actually existed
- Therefore, the idea of God - as a conception which cannot be bettered - must correspond to one in reality (i.e He actually exists)
- Anselm's second ontological argument
- Necessary existence is better than contingent existence.
- God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived.
- God has necessary existence.
- God exists..
- General Facts
- St. Anselm (1033-1109)
- Descartes
- Existence is a predicate
- A priori argument
- Descartes' ontological argument.
- Analogy of a triangle: existence is a predicate of the perfect being.
- God poseses all perfections
- Existence is a perfection
- Therefore God exists.
- Analogy of a triangle: existence is a predicate of the perfect being.
- Gaunilo vs. Anselm
- Gaunilo of Marmoutiers
- God is mysterious - we don't have an idea of him
- Perfect Island analogy - Just because you can imagine something does not mean it must exist. You cannot move concept into reality.
- Necessary existence is unintelligible.
- Anselm's response to Gaunilo
- The proof doesn't require complete understanding of God.
- God is not just the greatest thing of a certain type or the greatest thing of all
- God is not contingent so the island analogy doesn't work.
- Gaunilo of Marmoutiers
- Strengths
- It uses premises that the atheist is likely to accept
- It is a priori, thus is not contingent upon empirical evidence which could be found to be false in the future.
- The conclusion seems to follow from the premises.
- Weaknesses.
- Existence is not a predicate
- God might exist but you can't prove it with logic.
- Anselm's first ontological argument
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