The Ontological Argument
- Created by: Lily
- Created on: 17-04-13 18:14
View mindmap
- THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT "a priori argument, formulated through reason alone"
- ANSELM & THE 4 PREMISES
- 1. God is greater than anything that can be conceived.
- ANSELMS REPLY
- Island = contingent. Contingent = not-existing
- A greater being cannot not-exist
- Therefore, Gods existence is necessary
- Island has no intrinsic maximum so can be bettered. God can't. You can't compare them
- ANSELMS REPLY
- 2. Both believers & non accept this
- 3. It is possible to exist both in the mind and in reality.
- 4. It is greater to exist in both than just in the mind.
- Therefore a God that is "great" must exist in reality aswell as the mind.
- 1. God is greater than anything that can be conceived.
- GAUNILO & THE FOOL
- I can perceive of the greatest possible isalnd
- ANSELMS REPLY
- Island = contingent. Contingent = not-existing
- A greater being cannot not-exist
- Therefore, Gods existence is necessary
- Island has no intrinsic maximum so can be bettered. God can't. You can't compare them
- ANSELMS REPLY
- As it is greatest to exist in the mind and reality then so should the island
- A real and perfect isaldn is absurd so by default so is Anselms argument
- I can perceive of the greatest possible isalnd
- DESCARTES "Gods essence is my existence"
- I can concieve of a perfect being and i must assert all of its perfections
- Necessary existence is a perfection
- Anything that has never not-existed then cannot be perfect
- Therefore a supremely perfect being like God must exist
- KANT
- Existence is not a predicate
- Existential propositions are synthetic
- Saying something exists is merely a description. e.g cows
- Predicate of existence is not intrinsic but attached
- The concept of a truly supremem being does not have to be true in reality
- MALCOMS RESURRECTION
- If God came into existence now he would not be God
- If God does not exist now then existence is impossible (eternity not duration)
- Therefore Gods existence is either necessary or impossible
- Existence would only be possible if it was illogical
- If not it is necessary
- Once one accept the notion of necessary existence no question remains over Gods existence
- THEREFORE, THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT CAN ONLY CONVICNE BELIEVERS AS THEY HAVE GRASPED THE CONCEPT
- Once one accept the notion of necessary existence no question remains over Gods existence
- AQUINAS
- There is no agreed definition for God
- ANSELM & THE 4 PREMISES
Comments
No comments have yet been made