Key concepts

Question 1

What are the key elements of each ontological argument which is shared in all arguments?

Answer 1

• They are deductive arguments
• They’re all based on a priori evidence.
• God must be existent based on his characteristic of ‘existence’.

Question 2

What is St. Anselm’s ontological argument?

Answer 2

• Proves the ‘God of the philosophers,’
• He unpacks the concept of God.
• He claims that existance is a predicate for God’s definition.
• ‘Bachelor = unmarried man,’
• ’ God = existent,’
• It is greater for him to exist in reality than merely in our minds.
• Therefore, he must be existent, as he is the greatest possible being.

Question 3

What is a key criticism for Anselm’s ontological argument?

Answer 3

Schopenhauer claims it is a ‘conjouring trick’ as he tries to define God into existence.
He claims it is not something that you can know without empirical evidence.

Question 4

What is Descartes’ Ontological argument?

Answer 4

• The most standard argument
• Revived as a proof of God in ‘The Meditations,’
• Existence is a perfection, therefore it must apply to God.
• Subjects and predicates are inseperable.
• ‘Mountain’ is inseperable form ‘valley’
• ‘triangle’ = ‘180 degrees internally’
• ‘God = existent.’
• Therefore, God exists is a tautology.

Question 5

What is the main criticism of Descartes’ ontological argument?

Answer 5

• Kant attacks the idea that Existence is a predicate for God, and claims that conception and reality appear no differently in the mind.

Question 6

What is Norman Malcom’s ontological argument?

Answer 6

• Revives Anselm’s argument, but adds ammendments.
• He argues for the NECESSARY existence of God.
• He claims that to claim God doesn’t exist is a contradiction.
• A necessary being cannot be limited or dependent.
• A necessary being cannot cease to be.
• He also claims the two steps to the existence of God:
• God is not contingent
• God is necessary, because he is not impossible.

Question 7

What is Malcom’s quote referring to the necessity of God’s conception?

Answer 7

“God cannot be concieved not to exist, that which can be concieved not to exist is not God,”

Question 8

What is a Key criticism of Malcom’s argument?

Answer 8

Hick draws a distinction between:
- Logical necessity
- Ontological necessity.
He claims that Malcom becomes confused with the way in which he prove sGod’s necessity.
‘God is not logically possible, therefore he is ontologically necessary,’