Ontological Argument

Question 1

What reasoning does the ontological argument use?

Answer 1

Deductive reasoning.

Question 2

What are the two premises Anselm uses to make the conclusion ontologically necessary?

Answer 2

1. God is the greatest conceivable being.
2. To be the greatest conceivable being, God must exist in reality.

Question 3

Is this argument a A priori or A posteriori?

Answer 3

A priori.

Question 4

What does Plantinga posit?

Answer 4

Modern ontological argument:
1. There is a possible world where there is an entity that is maximally great.
2. A maximally great being would exist in all worlds.
3. Therefore, this maximally great being exists in this world.

Question 5

What does predicate mean?

Answer 5

Attribute/ quality of something possessed or lacked.

Question 6

What is an A priori argument?

Answer 6

Reasoning dependent on experience- through reasoning alone.

Question 7

What does Kant say about the ontological argument?

Answer 7

Rejects the argument- treats existence as a predicate.
Knowing something exists tells us nothing about the thing. Non-existence of God is conceivable.

Question 8

What does Bertrand Russell say about the ontological argument?

Answer 8

Things should only be described as existing if we can see they exist in the world.