Ontological Arguments - a priori or a posteriori, deductive or inductive
A priori, deductive
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St Anselm's original ontological argument first premise - P1
P1: God is that 'than which nothing greater can be conceived'
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St Anselm - P2
P2: A real existent being would be greater than an imaginary, illusion being
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St Anselm - C
Therefore, the concept of God is surpassed by an actual, God exists in reality. In other words, existence is a predicate of God
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De re
Exists in reality
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De dicto
Exists in the mind
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Gaunilo's Response to Anselm - On behalf of the fool P1
P1: We can imagine an island which is the most excellent island
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Gaunilo - P2
P2: It is greater to exist in reality than merely in the understanding
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Gaunilo - C
Therefore, the most excellent island must exist in reality
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St Anselm response to Gaunilo - P1
P1: God is that being 'that than which nothing greater can be conceived
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Response P2
P2: Something which cannot be thought not to exist is greater than anything which can be thought to exist
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Response C
C: Therefore, it is impossible to think that his being cannot exist. And this being is what we call God
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Descartes P1
P1: God is a supremely perfect being
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Descartes P2
P2: Existence is a predicate of a perfect being
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Descartes C
C: Therefore, God, a supremely perfect, being exists
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Norman Malcolm 4 possibilities concerning God's existence 1)
1) God's existence is necessarily false
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Malcolm 2)
2) God's existence is contingently false
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Malcolm 3)
3) God's existence is contingently true
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Malcolm 4)
4) God's existence is necessarily true
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2 and 3 cannot apply to God because...
God is the greatest being, unlimited, inderpendent and external
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1 fails because...
Statements that fall under 1 are logically contradictory e.g. round square - God exists is not
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Malcolm C
This only leaves 4, so Norman Malcolm does not believe existence is a predicate of God, but necessary existence is
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Alvin Plantinga - Modal Logic P1
P1: There is a possible world with a being with maximal greatness (exists in all possible worlds)
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Plantinga - P2
P2: In any possible world this being has maximal excellence (attributes like omniscience, omnipotence)
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Plantinga P3
P3: Our world is a possible world
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Platinga C
C: This being exists in our world, therefore, God exists
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Aquinas Criticism
No agreed definition of God. A priori argument can never prove God exists - we must search for a posteriori argument
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Kant's Criticism
Existence is not a predicate of God because it is not a predicate at all. Saying something exists adds nothing to its existence - a thought of something would be the same whether it existed or not
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Russell Expansion of Kant's - P1
P1: Men exist
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Russell - P2
P2: Santa is a man
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Russell - C
C: Santa exists - if existence was a real predicate this would be true
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Summary of Criticism (1 line)
Unacceptable logical leap from Idea of god to reality
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
P1: God is that 'than which nothing greater can be conceived'
Back
St Anselm's original ontological argument first premise - P1
Card 3
Front
P2: A real existent being would be greater than an imaginary, illusion being
Back
Card 4
Front
Therefore, the concept of God is surpassed by an actual, God exists in reality. In other words, existence is a predicate of God
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