Ontological Argument Flashcards
What kind of argument is the ontological argument?
– A priori
– Deductive
A priori
It is not based on experience but logic or pure reason
Deductive
The truth of its premises logically entails the truth of its conclusion
Who formulated the ontological argument?
Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury
A medieval theologian and philosopher who formulated the ontological argument
In what work did Anselm of Canterbury formulate the ontological argument?
Proslogion
What is the ontological argument?
The ontological argument posits that the very concept of a perfect or necessary being implies its existence – as existence is a necessary attribute of such a being
Anselm of Canterbury ontological argument quote
Anselm defines God as a being “than which nothing greater can be conceived”
What analogy does Anselm use?
The analogy of a painter who has an idea of what they will paint in their mind before creating the painting in reality
Necessary Being
A being whose existence is essential and cannot be conceived otherwise – such as God in the ontological argument
Greatest Conceivable Being
A term used in the ontological argument to describe the concept of a being that possesses all perfections to the highest degree
Existence as a Predicate
The idea that existence can be considered a characteristic or quality of something and that the existence of a necessary being is greater than the non-existence of that being
What is a method of argumentation used by critics to challenge the validity of the ontological argument?
Reductio ad Absurdum
Reductio ad Absurdum
A method of argumentation where a proposition is disproven by demonstrating that following its logical consequences leads to absurd or contradictory outcomes
Who employed the technique of Reductio ad Absurdum to present counterexamples of the ontological argument?
Gaunilo of Marmoutiers
Who is Gaunilo of Marmoutiers?
A Benedictine monk
In what work did Gaunilo challenge the ontological argument?
Behalf of the Fool
Gaunilo thought that the human intellect is only able to comprehend information provided by the senses – what is Gaunilo?
Gaunilo is an empiricist
Summarise “Behalf of the Fool”
Gaunilo contends that the ontological argument fails because logic of the same kind would force one to conclude many things exist which certainly do not
What example does Gaunilo use in “Behalf of the Fool” to disprove Anselm
The Perfect Island
The Perfect Island
Gaunilo claims that one can prove the existence of a perfect island by using the same argument that Anselm uses to prove the existence of God
To use the same reasoning to prove the existence of a perfect island based on its conceptual perfection would lead to unreasonable or absurd conclusions
What scripture does Anselm refer to?
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God”
– Psalm 14
Gaunilo concludes that…
(quote)
“So much for the assertion that this supreme nature already is in my understanding”
“So much for the assertion that this supreme nature already is in my understanding” – meaning
Gaunilo even doubts that we can understand this idea of the greatest conceivable being
Who is Immanuel Kant?
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher and one of the central Enlightenment thinkers
Synthetic A Priori
Kant argues that the ontological argument relies on synthetic a priori reasoning
He considers this problematic because it attempts to establish the existence of God solely through conceptual analysis without empirical evidence
Existence as a Predicate
Kant rejects the idea that existence can be treated as a predicate or quality of an object – maintaining that existence is not a defining characteristic but rather a necessary condition for any predicates to be attributed to an object
What example did Kant use to further substantiate his point that existence is not a predicate?
Thalers (the Prussian currency of his day)
– Imagine 100 Thalers
– Saying that the Thalers exist tells us nothing more about them
– Saying that they are round and metallic adds to our concept of the Thalers
– There is no difference between our concept of 100 Thalers and our
concept of 100 Thalers that exist
Confusing Logical and Real Existence (Kant)
Kant suggests that the ontological argument conflates the logical concept of existence with actual or real existence – making the unwarranted leap from conceptual necessity to ontological existence
Critique of Pure Reason (Kant)
The ontological argument commits the fallacy of circular reasoning by assuming the existence of God to prove the existence of God – which is logically flawed
Limited Applicability (Kant)
The ontological argument is limited to those who accept the concept of God as a necessary being
It does not provide a persuasive or universally compelling proof for the existence of God to those who do not already hold such a belief
