1D origins of the ontological argument

Question 1

what is a deductive argument?

Answer 1

moving from a set of premises to a comclusion that, if the argument is sound, is indisputable

Question 2

give two examples of valid deductive proof and reasoning

Answer 2

1. all oceans contain water
2. the atlantic is an ocean
   conclusion. the atlantic contains water
3. the sun is a star
4. all stars are balls of flaming gas
   conclusion. the sun is a ball of flaming gas

Question 3

give an example of invalid deductive proof and explain why it is invalid

Answer 3

1. all birds can fly
2. penguins are birds
   conclusion. penguins can fly

whilst logically the argument is sound, the premise ‘all birds can fly’ is factually inaccurate

Question 4

what is an a priori argument

Answer 4

an argument based relying on pure reason, prior to empirical evidence

Question 5

who was st anselm

Answer 5

an italian monk and a theologian of the roman catholic church

Question 6

what did anselm contruct and what were his intentions

Answer 6

the ontological argument to demonstrate rationality behind his own faith

Question 7

what was the original title of anselm’s proslogian and what does it mean

Answer 7

fides quaerens intellectum
faith seeking understanding

Question 8

what does ontos mean

Answer 8

being

Question 9

how does anselm open proslogian 2

Answer 9

with reference to Psalm 14:1
‘the fool sayd in his heart, ‘there is no god’’

Question 10

according to anselm what is God

Answer 10

‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’

Question 11

what does ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’ mean

Answer 11

he must exist in reality as something that exists in reality is greater than in the mind
an existent being is greater than an illusionary being
the concept of god is surpassed by an existent God
he exists in both mind and reality

Question 12

what example did anselm give to show how god exists in both the mind and reality

Answer 12

a painter and a painting

before it exists in reality, a painting needs to exist in the mind of a painter

Question 13

use deductive reasoning to show that a necessary being is greater than a contingent being

Answer 13

contingent beings depend on something else for existence
necessary beings are not dependant
contingent beings can be thought of to not exist
necessary beings cannot be thought of to not exist

Question 14

what does the fact that god is ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’ mean for his existence

Answer 14

god’s existence is necessary
it is an integral part of what it means to be God; a unique feature above that of all existent beings
‘God cannot be conceived to not exist’

Question 15

what did anselm say about some things being better not existing and what example did he use

Answer 15

a nine-headed, flesh-eating, giant mosquito
the best version of this is a non-existent version as it is bad or undesirable
god can never be undesirable as his goodness is an aspect of his greatness
as he is sp great, it could never be better for him to not exist

Question 16

how can you challenge anselm when he says that god can never be undesirable

Answer 16

old testament god is very different to the new testament loving God
the problem of evil

Question 17

where was anselms first form of his ontological argument written

Answer 17

proslogion 2

Question 18

where was anselms second form of his ontological argument written

Answer 18

proslogion 3

Question 19

outline anselms first form of his ontological argument with the presmises

Answer 19

1. god is that than which nothing greater can be conceived
2. god exists in intellectu (in the mind alone as a concept)
3. if god exxisted only in intellectu we could imagine something that existsboth in re (reality) and intellectu (mind)
4. that being would be greater than God
   conclusion. God must exist in both re and intellectu

Question 20

explain premise 1 of anselms argument in proslogion 2

Answer 20

he defines god
it would be rediculous to dismiss something you don’t have a clear understanding of
it is impossible for anyone to think of anything greater than God
the definition on its own is required for a denial of Gods existence

Question 21

explain premise 2 of anselms argument in proslogion 2

Answer 21

clearly god exists in the mind because we can define him

Question 22

explain premise 3 and 4 of anselms argument in poslogion 2

Answer 22

he uses reductio ad absurdum (reducing to absurdity)
god cannot exist in the mind alone otherwise there would be something greater than him, going against premise 1

Question 23

explain anselms conclusion in proslogion 2

Answer 23

demonstrates inescapability
since god exists in the mind he cannot be restricted to the mind alone
gods existence is rationally proves without the use of empirical evidence

Question 24

outline anselms second form of the ontological argument with the premises

Answer 24

1. God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived
2. it is greater to be necessary than contingent
3. if god exists within the mind, but is not necessary, we could concieve of a being greater than him
4. it is logically impossible to imagine anything greater than God
   conclusion. if god exists in the mind then he must exist necessarily

Question 25

explain premise 1 in proslogion 3

Answer 25

he defines god
it would be rediculous to dismiss something you don’t have a clear understanding of
it is impossible for anyone to think of anything greater than God
the definition on its own is required for a denial of Gods existence

Question 26

explain premise 2 in proslogion 3

Answer 26

the definition of god requires him to exist necesarily since there can be nothing greater than him

Question 27

explain premise 3 in proslogion 3

Answer 27

anselm resorts to reductio ad absurdi, to show the absurdity of God being temporary

Question 28

explain premise 4 in proslogion 3

Answer 28

it is a logical impossibliity for god not to exist

Question 29

explain anselms conclusion in poslogion 3

Answer 29

‘God exists’ is a tautology. it is like saying an existing god exists
the statement is an analytic existential proposition - a statement aboit existence that is necessarily true