Objections to the Ontological Argument

Guanilo's Objection

• If I think of the perfect island it does not mean it exists.
• You cannot think things into existence.
• Anselm replies with-God is a special case-there can only be one thing which can be that than which nothing greater can be conceived. 

A more devastating objection

• Existence is not a predicate.
• The cat is black-black is a predicate because it adds something to the cat.
• "God exists" does not add anything to the concept of God.
• "A hundred real thalers do not contain the least coin more than a hundred possible thalers"

• It is an a priori argument, it is based on innate knowledge and logic.
• It attempts to prove the existence of God from the meaning of the word "God"
• If you accept the definition of God then logically you have to accept the conclusion that he exists.

• Things that exist both in your mind and in reality are greater than things that only exist in the imagination.

• When we hear the words "that than which nothing greater can be conceieved" we understand what the words mean.
• So this being (God) exists in our thoughts.
• This then exists either only in our mind or in both mind and reality.

God cannot only exist in the mind

• If it existed only in the mind then we could think of something greater than it, because we could think of something that exists in both the mind and in reality.
• It is a contradiction to suppose we could think of something greater than that than which nothing greater can be conceived.
• So that than which nothing greater can be conceived has to exists both in the mind and in reality.

• It is not possible to take an idea in ones mind, apply pure logic to it, and reach a conclusion absed entirely in the external, observable universe.

• Existence cannot be treated as a preficate which something can have or not have or whihc can be added to or subtracted from something.

• Existence cannot be something that can be added to the definition and actually change something.

• "Whatever we conceive, we conceive it to be existent"

• To think of God in the mind and then to think of God in reality is exactly the same thing. 

• All we are doing is thinking about God and not providin grounds for his existence. 

• It is not possible to take an idea in ones mind, apply pure logic to it, and reach a conclusion absed entirely in the external, observable universe.

• Existence cannot be treated as a preficate which something can have or not have or whihc can be added to or subtracted from something.

• Existence cannot be something that can be added to the definition and actually change something.

• "Whatever we conceive, we conceive it to be existent"

• To think of God in the mind and then to think of God in reality is exactly the same thing. 

• All we are doing is thinking about God and not providin grounds for his existence.