Ontological Argument

Question 1

What is Anselms argument in premise conclusion form?

Answer 1

P1 - God us ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived
P2 - it is greater to exist in reality than to exist only in the mind
C1 - God must exist in reality

Question 2

What is Anselms argument?

Answer 2

In a prayer directed at the fool (atheists) Anselm shows the atheist believes in a contradiction
- they recognise God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’
- while at the same time recognising God does not exist
- as a result the atheist accepts the definition of God whistle being able to conceive in f something greater, namely a God that exist in reality

Question 3

What are the strengths of the Anslems argument?

Answer 3

-deductive and apriori so doesn’t rely on anything observable and therefore cannot lead to misinterpretation leading from observations
- it can be seen as being basic on logic or faith :
L - definition of God is that he exists
F - definition of God is revealed to Anselm by God

Question 4

What are the weaknesses of Anselms argument?

Answer 4

most scholars reject it :
- existence is not a predicate
- Anselm only offers a conditional he means “if God were to exist he would be necessary” when he says “God exists necessarily”
- Anselm defines God as “that than which nothing greater can be conceived” - defining God at all limits

Question 5

What is Gaunillo’s perfect island critique?

Answer 5

P1 - we can imagine an island which is the most excellent/ best island
P2 - it is greater to exist in reality than merely in the understanding
C1 - therefore the most excellent island must exist in reality
C2 - obviously C1 is untrue
C3 - therefore Anslems argument is invalid

Question 6

What type of argument is Guanillo’s critique?

Answer 6

Reductio as absurdum
- “on behalf of the fool”

Question 7

What is Anselms response to Guanillo’s critique?

Answer 7

P1 - to be perfect an island would have to be “that island which not greater can be conceived”
P2 - an island which no greater can be conceived would have to exist necessarily since a contingent island would be less perfect than an island that exists necessarily
P3 - but islands are contingent and so can’t exist necessarily
C1 - Therefore that which can be conceived not to exist is not God - the logic is the argument related to the perfect island doesn’t apply to God

P1 - God is the greatest conceivable being.
P2 - The greatest conceivable being cannot be conceived not to exist.
C1 - Therefore, God, and God alone, possesses necessary existence: God cannot not exist.

Question 8

What is Kant’s critique?

Answer 8

Existence is not a predicate
- a predicate must add info to a subject
- existence cannot be a predicate as it adds no info to the subject (God)
P1 - if “God does not exist” is a contradiction then “God exists” is an analytic truth
P2 - if “God exists” is and analytic truth then existence is part of the concept of God
P3 - existence is not a predicate (something that can be added to another concept)
C1 - therefore existence is not part of the concept God
C2 - therefore “God exists” is not an analytic truth
C3 - therefore we cannot deduce the existence of God from the concept of God
C4 - therefore the ontological argument cannot prove that God exists