Explain Anselms Ontological Argument

a)     Explain Anselms Ontological Argument                                                    [25]

Anselm was a English Monk and a philosopher who was declared Saint Anselm of Canterbury in 1003.Anslems argument was put forward in the Proslogion. The argument was named by Kant as ‘The Ontological Argument’ based upon the principle of ‘Ontos’ which refers to the study of existence, in this case god’s existence. The argument is a priori as it does not use experience but uses rationality and understanding of how things work. The argument is also deductive which means that if the previous premises are deemed true the conclusion must be true also.

Anselm starts his argument by establishing a definition for god which he derives is’ that which nothing greater can be conceived’ Anselm described even the fool (even Atheists) can accept the principle that nothing can be greater can be thought of than god.

Premise 2 Anselm said was that ideas that exist in the mind (In intellectu) and also in reality (In re) are better than ideas only though of than in the mind alone. This is true and can be applied to the subject of winning £1 million, it would be better to physically have this money to spend in reality than having the money in your imagination, this also applies to God.

Thus, if god exists as an idea in the mind a greater possible idea can be thought of that exists both in the mind and reality. This would contradict the very definition of God and therefore logically god must exists for him to not exist would mean that there is a greater possible thing that can…