Deductive arguments: Norman Malcolm - God's existence as necessary rather than just possible

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  • Created by: gemshort
  • Created on: 26-01-18 13:21

Norman Malcolm revisited the ontological argument and developed it further. He rejected both Anselm's and Descartes arguments because you cannot state that something exists simply because it is greater to exist in reality or because existence is a perfection which God possesses

For Malcom, the very fact that God is the greatest possible being that can be thought of necessarily means that God is an unlimited being - a being that has no limits, possessess all perfections and is worthy of worship. 

  • Were God not unlimited, then there would be limits to aspects of his being, meaning he is not the greatest conceivable being and so would not fit our definition of what it means to be God

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