2.1| Arugments for the existence of God- Deductive

Question 1

Ontology

Answer 1

The study of being

Question 2

Deductive

Answer 2

The conclusion follows (ie. The existence of God) from logically agreed premises. If the premises are true, the conclusion must follow

Question 3

Psalm 14:1

Answer 3

“The fool in their heart, ‘there is no God’”

Question 4

Ontological Argument #1 (Anselm- Proslogian 2)

Answer 4

*God is defined as “That than which nothing greater can be conceived”

*if God exists in our minds (in intellectu) alone then a greater being could be imagined to exist in both the mind and in reality (in re)

*this being would be greater than God (reductio ad absurdum)

*therefore, God must exist as an idea and in reality

Question 5

Priori

Answer 5

Reasoning alone/ prior to empirical evidence

Question 6

Gaunilo

Answer 6

*challenges Anselm with the idea of a perfect island

*absurd- you can’t just imagine things into existence

*if we replace ‘God’ with ‘island’ it highlights the lack of knowledge within Anselm’s argument

Question 7

Anselm- Proslogian 3

Answer 7

• God is ‘That than which nothing greater can be conceived’

*the definition of God requires him to be a necessary being- it is greater to be necessary that contingent

• uses reductio ad absurdum to show that God cannot be temporary= God cannot not exist