Arguments Based On Reason

Question 1

St Anselm

Answer 1

‘credo ut intelligam’
God exists to be able to understand him

Proslogion 2:
‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’
a painter

Proslogion 3:
God is necessary

Question 2

Gaunilo’s objections

Answer 2

wishfully thinking
philosophically sound

island
contradictory
absurd

Question 3

Anselms response to Gaunilo

Answer 3

contingent
supremely necessary

must be understood
‘there is no God’

Question 4

Hume’s empiricist response to the ontological argument

Answer 4

Empiricist
a priori
‘necessary being’

logical truth and factual truth are distinct
necessary being must exist

conceive of as not existing

‘The words, therefore, necessary existence, have no meaning.’

Question 5

Kant’s objection that existence is not a predicate

Answer 5

conceivably non-existent

defining attribute of God
denying God’s existence denies what God is
‘exists’ a predicate

A thing that exists would be conceptually different to that same thing when not existing.

‘logical predicate’
‘real predicate’