Philosophy AQA: Ontological Argument (COMPLETE)

The Ontological argument is the argument to prove God's existence or that God must exist.

The Ontological argument is;

Deductive:

- The truth of the premise determines the conclusion.

A priori

Analytic

Anselm stated that;

"God is a being than which no greater can be conceived"

1) God is a being which no greater being can be conceived

2) Things exist in mind and reality

3) It is greater to exist in BOTH mind and reality

4) As God is the greatest possible being, God must exist in mind AND REALITY

Therefore God exists

God is the greatest possible being which no greater can be thought of. As it is greater to exist in both mind and reality, then God must exist in both mind and REALITY because he is the greatest possible being. Therefore God exists.

Gaunilo stated that Anselm's argument could be used for ANYTHING and it MUST EXIST

Parody of the Island

Imagine the greatest/perfect island which no greater island can be thought of;

- It is greater to exist in both mind and REALITY

- Then the island has to and must exist

-> This is logically absurd

- Anselm's Ontological argument is false.

The greatest possible island would have to exist as it is greater to exist in both mind and reality, Gaunilo stated this is logically absurd and Anelm's argument is false.

God's existence is necessary NOT contingent

Anselm stated that the island's existence is contingent, dependent on other physical objects to exist while God's existence does not.

1) God is a being which than no greater being can be conceived

2) Things exist either necessarily or contingently

3) It is greater to exist necessarily than contingently

4) Therefore, God's existence is necessary

- Therefore, God exists.

Existence is a predicate of perfection

Descartes stated that;

God is a supremely perfect being

- Has all perfections, omnipotence etc.

1) God is a supremely perfect being

2) Existence is a perfection

3) Therefore, God exists

-> Existence is a predicate of perfection, therefore it is necessary that God must exist as he is a supremely perfect being

->  God without existence is like a triangle without 3 sides.

Redefines perfection as:

"Perfection is a simple quality which is positive and absoloute"

Perfections are a quality which are unanalysable, they cannot be shown to be incompatible.

No perfection places a restriction on another perfection;

- Perfections can coexist / exist together

So a supremely perfect being is possible.

Existence is not a property

Existence cannot be a property of God as it is not a property at all

"Existence is obviously not a real predicate"

-> A predicate must give information, enriching our concept of it

---> Existence does not do this.

Existence does not add anything to, or define, a concept itself

To say that ‘God exists’ is quite different from saying that ‘God is omnipotent'

"God's existence is not impossible"

If God doesn't exist, then he cannot come into existence - His existence is impossible

If God does exist, then he cannot go out of existence - His existence is necessary.

1) God's existence is either necessary or impossible

2) God's existence is not impossible as ( the concept of God is NOT self-contradictory)

3) God's existence is necessary

Therefore, God exists (necessarily)

There is a possible world with a being with maximal greatness

1) There is a possible world with a being with maximal greatness

2) A being with maximal greatness exists in all possible worlds

3) They must exist in our world

There is a possible world with a being with maximal greatness

Since God is maximally great and perfect, then he must exist in all possible worlds

-- Therefore God exists

"Necessary existence is meaningless"

The Ontological argument does not rely on sense expierence, it is a priori.

Existence cannot be proven through reasoning (A priori)

If ‘God exists’ is a priori, then we shouldn’t be able to deny it without contradicting ourselves

"Whatever we conceive as existent, we can also conceive as non-existent"

Therefore;

It is possible we can conceive God not existing

- So, God's existence is not necessary

--> Ontological argument is false.