The Ontological Argument
Key ideas surronding the Ontological Argument.
- Created by: Bethany
- Created on: 11-09-14 09:47
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- The Ontological Argument
- Anselm
- God exists by definition
- definition: "That than which nothing greater can be conceived"
- God isn't that than which nothing greater can be conceived unless he exists. A god which exists is greater than a God that doesn't exist
- definition: "That than which nothing greater can be conceived"
- Book = Proslogion 2, Proslogion 3 and Responsio
- Anselm's second version
- God's existence is necessary
- God exists by definition
- Rejections to Anselm
- Aquinas
- Book = Summar Theologica
- We don't know Gods essence so we don't know he's perfect, so we don't know he exists
- Book = Summar Theologica
- Gaunilo
- Book = 'On Behalf of the Fool'
- Saying something exists doesn't mean it does. He uses the example of describing 'your perfect Island' as we can prove that this doesn't exist
- Anselm responds in his book 'Responsio'
- God cannot be compared to an Island as an island as God has 'all perfections' so the argument can ONLY apply to God.
- Anselm responds in his book 'Responsio'
- Saying something exists doesn't mean it does. He uses the example of describing 'your perfect Island' as we can prove that this doesn't exist
- Book = 'On Behalf of the Fool'
- Aquinas
- Descartes
- Book = Meditations
- We cant conceive a triangle without having three sides, just as we can't conceive a mountain without a valley so we can't think of God without him existing
- Whatever is the essence of something must be affirmed of it. God's essence is existence.
- Book = Meditations
- Rejections to Descartes
- Kant
- Book = The Critique of Pure Reason
- Kant completely disagrees with using an a priori argument
- 'Language can't prove existence'
- 'Existence is not a predicate'
- 'A miserable tautology' (circular argument)
- Book = The Critique of Pure Reason
- Russel
- Article = 'On Denoting'
- When we say 'cows exist' what we are really saying is the concept of a cow exists, and so existence can't be used as a predicate.
- Article = 'On Denoting'
- Hume
- Whatever we conceive as existent, we can also conceive as non-existing.
- We can only prove something a priori if its opposite implies a contradiction. We can conceive God as not existing, so nothing can be proved a priori.
- Whatever we conceive as existent, we can also conceive as non-existing.
- Kant
- Modern Phase
- Malcolm
- To come into existence would require God to have a beginning and an end. God therefore has either always existed or will never exist. (Necessary or impossible)
- He can't be impossible, as the concept of God is not self contradicting, so God must necessarily exist.
- To come into existence would require God to have a beginning and an end. God therefore has either always existed or will never exist. (Necessary or impossible)
- Plantinga
- islands are different to God as there could always be a more perfect island.
- The idea of the greatest possible Island is incoherent.
- God is maximally great and nothing greater is possible.
- The idea of the greatest possible Island is incoherent.
- Plantinga uses modal logic to suggest God exists.
- Modal logic means there is multiple worlds, and in each one something is slightly different
- God must exist in one world and as he is infinite he must therefore exist in all the worlds.
- islands are different to God as there could always be a more perfect island.
- Malcolm
- Anselm
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