Anselm's Ontological Argument

Question 1

What is the basic claim of the Ontological Argument?

Answer 1

The Ontological Argument claims that God’s existence can be deduced from his definition, asserting that once defined, God’s existence is certain and undeniable.

Question 2

What type of argument is the Ontological Argument?

Answer 2

The Ontological Argument is a priori and deductive, meaning it can be known to be true without relying on sense experience.

Question 3

What is the difference between a necessary truth and a contingent truth in the Ontological Argument?

Answer 3

A necessary truth is something that must be true, whereas a contingent truth could be otherwise. The Ontological Argument claims that God’s existence is a necessary truth, not contingent.

Question 4

How does Anselm define God in his Ontological Argument?

Answer 4

Anselm defines God as ‘a being than which nothing greater can be conceived,’ which means God is the greatest possible being.

Question 5

What distinction does Anselm make between an idea in the mind and actual existence?

Answer 5

Anselm argues that it is greater for something to exist both in the mind and in reality, as opposed to just existing in the mind.

Question 6

What does Anselm’s argument claim about God’s existence?

Answer 6

Anselm claims that if God exists as the greatest conceivable being, then God must exist in both the mind and reality to be the greatest, because a God who only exists in the mind could be surpassed by one who exists in reality.

Question 7

How does Anselm’s Ontological Argument conclude about God’s existence?

Answer 7

The conclusion is that God must exist in reality, because it is greater to exist in both the mind and reality than just in the mind.

Question 8

What criticism does Gaunilo offer against Anselm’s Ontological Argument?

Answer 8

Gaunilo argues that Anselm’s reasoning could be used to prove the existence of any perfect concept, such as a ‘most perfect and real lost island,’ which is absurd.

Question 9

How does Anselm respond to Gaunilo’s criticism?

Answer 9

Anselm responds that an island, unlike God, is contingent and not necessary, meaning it could exist or not. Therefore, Gaunilo’s example doesn’t apply to God, whose existence must be necessary.

Question 10

What is the key difference between God and a lost island according to Anselm’s response to Gaunilo?

Answer 10

God is a necessary being who cannot not exist, while an island is contingent and can exist or not, making the logic of the argument not applicable to islands.

Question 11

How does Anselm describe the nature of God’s existence?

Answer 11

Anselm argues that God’s existence is necessary; God must exist, as it is impossible to conceive of a being greater than God who does not exist.

Question 12

What are Kant’s criticisms of the Ontological Argument?

Answer 12

Kant argues that existence is not a predicate because it does not add anything new to the concept of a thing. Saying ‘God exists necessarily’ is analytically true but does not prove God’s actual existence in reality.

Question 13

Why does Kant believe the Ontological Argument fails?

Answer 13

Kant believes that the argument fails because existence does not add to the definition of something. For example, saying ‘a unicorn is a horse with a horn’ is logically true but does not prove unicorns exist.

Question 14

How does Kant’s critique challenge Anselm’s claim about necessary existence?

Answer 14

Kant challenges the idea that ‘existing necessarily’ is part of God’s definition, arguing that it’s logically true by definition but doesn’t prove the actual existence of God in reality.

Question 15

What is the strength of the Ontological Argument in terms of its deductive nature?

Answer 15

One strength is that if the Ontological Argument succeeds, it can prove God’s existence without relying on empirical observation, which can be flawed or subjective.

Question 16

How does the Ontological Argument appeal to different interpretations of faith?

Answer 16

Some, like Barth, argue that the Ontological Argument reflects a personal religious experience of Anselm, and for those with faith, it can be accepted as true, expressing their belief in God’s existence.

Question 17

How can the Ontological Argument serve as a training tool?

Answer 17

The Ontological Argument can help individuals understand the difference between analytic and synthetic propositions, as it relies on the logical relationship between definitions and conclusions.

Question 18

What is a key weakness of the Ontological Argument regarding existence as a predicate?

Answer 18

A major weakness is that existence is not a real predicate; saying something exists does not add new information about its nature, so the argument doesn’t demonstrate the existence of God.

Question 19

What does Kant argue about the proposition ‘God exists necessarily’?

Answer 19

Kant argues that ‘God exists necessarily’ is analytically true by definition, but it doesn’t prove that God actually exists in reality, just as the concept of a unicorn being a horse with a horn doesn’t mean unicorns exist.

Question 20

What is a limitation of the Ontological Argument in defining God?

Answer 20

The Ontological Argument might limit God by trying to define God in terms of human concepts, which may not fully capture the nature of an infinite and transcendent being like God.