Deductive arguments

Question 1

Give a Bible quote in support of the ontological argument.

Answer 1

“The fool says in his heart “There is no God”.” (Psalms 14:1).

Question 2

Give a quote from Anselm’s Proslogian 2.

Answer 2

“Therefore there is absolutely no doubt that something-than-which-a-greater-cannot-be-thought exists in both mind and reality.”

Question 3

Give a quote from Anselm’s Proslogian 3.

Answer 3

“But that than which a greater cannot be conceived, if it exists, cannot be conceived not to exist. Otherwise it is not a being than which a greater cannot be conceived: which is inconsistent. By no means, then, does it at any place or at any time fail to exist as a whole: but it exists as a whole everywhere and always.”

Question 4

Give a quote from Descartes on triangles and existence of God.

Answer 4

“Existence can no more be separated from the essence of God than can its having three angles equal to two right-angles be separated from the essence of a triangle or the idea of a mountain from the idea of a vallley.” (Fifth meditation in the philosophical works of Descartes)

Question 5

Give a quote from Descartes on the existence of God and innate knowledge.

Answer 5

“Certainly, the idea of God, or a supremely perfect being, is one that I find within me just as surely as the idea of any shape or number.” (Fifth Meditation in the philosophical works of Descartes)

Question 6

Give a criticism of the ontological argument from Norman Malcolm.

Answer 6

“the doctrine that existence is a perfection is remarkably queer.”

Question 7

Give a challenge to the ontological argument by Gaunilo.

Answer 7

“Suppose he then goes on to say “You cannot doubt that this island, more excellent than all lands, actually exists somewhere in reality”… I would think he were joking.” (quoted in Anselm’s Opera Omina)

Question 8

Give a challenge to the ontological argument by Kant.

Answer 8

“… ‘being’ is obviously not a real predicate.”