Gaunilo's criticism of Anselm's 1st argument

Question 1

What is his defence called?

Answer 1

‘On behalf of the fool’

Question 2

What example does Gaunilo use?

Answer 2

The perfect lost island

Question 3

How could you argue that the perfect lost island exists?

Answer 3

If the island doesn’t exist, it is no longer perfect because any other existing land would be better than it, so it wouldn’t be perfect anymore.

Question 4

Who does Gaunilo think is the greater fool, the one who argues for the island’s existence or the one who just believes in it?

Answer 4

The person who argues that the island exists is the greater fool because they should just have total faith in the island’s existence without having to prove it.

Question 5

So what is Gaunilo’s argument?

Answer 5

Just because you can imagine something completely perfect doesn’t mean that it has to exist.

Question 6

How could Anselm reply to Gaunilo’s criticism?

Answer 6

God is necessary; the island is contingent, so they are incomparable. God is special and different from all other things in the universe.