Ontological arguments

Question 1

Anslem’s Ontological argument

Answer 1

1)By definition, God is something by which nothing greater can be conceived
2)It is greater to exist in the understanding and reality rather than the understanding alone
3)Therefore something than which nothing greater can be conceived, God, must exist in the understanding and reality

Question 2

Gaunilo’s lost island

Answer 2

We could will all sorts of things into existence if we use the same structure

Counter- Argument only applies to God, The properties of finite limited things have no intrinsic maximum, they have no maximal limit eg you can always have one more palm tree. God does have a maximal limit
AND
Islands and or any material object are subjective

Question 3

Hume’s empiricist objects to a priori arguments for existence

Answer 3

1) If the proposition ‘God exists’ could be known a priori then it would be a necessary truth (it would be contradictory to deny it)
2) But is not a necessary truth
3) Therefore the claim ‘God exists’ cannot be known a priori

Question 4

counter against Hume’s empiricist argument

Answer 4

Denying God’s existence does involve a contradiction, when we inspect the notion of God we find within it the notion of ‘necessary existence

Question 5

Extra argument against Anselm

Answer 5

Different people have different concepts of God, only works for people who think God is “than which nothing greater can be be conceived”

Counter argument- The argument can still work without mentioning God

Question 6

Descartes’ ontological argument

Answer 6

1) By definition God is a supremely perfect being
2) A supremely perfect being contains all of the supreme perfections, like being all powerful, all loving eg
3) Necessary existence is a supreme perfection
4) Therefore, God a supremely perfect being exists.

Question 7

Kant Descartes’ argument

Answer 7

A-Existence is not a genuine predicate, it doesn’t enrich our understanding of a subject term.
R-Existence is a genuine predicate, if you say that a unicorn does in fact exist it enriches our understanding of it

Question 8

Extra Descartes’ counter

Answer 8

-Existence is not a perfection, adding that something exists doesn’t make it more perfect “my son would be even greater if he actually existed”
counter- existence is a perfection as it would have causal powers to to do things such as build a house.

Question 9

Malcom’s ontological argument

Answer 9

1)God is by definition, an unlimited being
2)The existence of an unlimited being is either logically necessary or logically impossible
3)The existence is of an unlimited being is not logically impossible
4)Therefore the existence of God is logically necessary

Question 10

against Malcom

Answer 10

existence is not a genuine predicate
counter-it is bitch