Ontological Argument

Question 1

Name the scholars who support the OA

Answer 1

Anselm, Descartes, N Malcom, Plantinga

Question 2

Name the critics of the OA

Answer 2

Gaunilo, Kant, Hume, Russell

Question 3

What is Anselm’s definition of God?

Answer 3

That than which nothing greater can be conceived

Question 4

What is Anselm’s starting point in his first argument?

Answer 4

“The fool says in his heart, there is no God”, a quote from the Psalms

Question 5

What is Anselm trying to do with his OA?

Answer 5

It is a prayer, trying to show how evident it is to him that God exists

Question 6

What does Anselm suggest is greater?

Answer 6

To exist in the mind and reality, is greater than existing in the mind alone

Question 7

What is Anselm’s example

Answer 7

The painter and the painting

Question 8

What is Anselm’s conclusion?

Answer 8

As God is the greatest conceivable being, and it is greater to exist in mind and reality, God must exist

Question 9

What does Anselm add in his second argument

Answer 9

The idea of necessary and contingent beings

Question 10

What does necessary mean?

Answer 10

Cannot fail to exist; relies on nothing for its existence

Question 11

What does contingent mean?

Answer 11

Can exist or not exist, relies on something else for its existence

Question 12

What analogy does Gaunilo use to challenge Anselm’s first argument?

Answer 12

The greatest conceivable island

Question 13

What is Gaunilo’s book called?

Answer 13

On behalf of the fool

Question 14

What does Plantinga mean by intrinsic maxim?

Answer 14

Maximally great, cannot be improved or made greater

Question 15

How does Plantinga support Anselm against Gaunilo?

Answer 15

The island has no intrinsic maxim (it can be improved) but God has an intrinsic maxim

Question 16

What is Descartes definition of God?

Answer 16

A supremely perfect being

Question 17

What does Descartes state about existence?

Answer 17

Existence is a predicate

Question 18

What is a predicate?

Answer 18

It adds to the description of the subject or object

Question 19

What are Descartes’ two examples?

Answer 19

Triangle and mountain/valley

Question 20

What is the essence or predicate of a triangle?

Answer 20

Three sides and angles adding up to 180 degrees

Question 21

What is the predicate of God?

Answer 21

Existence

Question 22

What is the predicate of a mountain?

Answer 22

A valley

Question 23

What does Kant argue about Descartes’ use of predicate?

Answer 23

Existence is not a predicate

Question 24

What is Kant’s example

Answer 24

100 thalers (silver coins) - existence does not add to their value so existence is not a predicate

Question 25

What does Kant say about statements of existence?

Answer 25

All existential statements are synthetic and require verification

Question 26

What is a synthetic statement?

Answer 26

A statement which needs external evidence to verify if it’s true or false

Question 27

What is an analytic statement?

Answer 27

A statement that contains the truth needed to verify it within the statement itself

Question 28

What did Kant say it was logical to reject

Answer 28

Both the concept and it’s predicates

Question 29

How does Hume argue against the OA?

Answer 29

You cannot define something into existence

Question 30

What does Russell suggest is needed to establish existence?

Answer 30

An instance of something

Question 31

According to Russell, what syllogism would be true if Kant was right?

Answer 31

Men exist, Santa Claus is a man, Santa Claus exists