Ontological Argument

Question 1

Is it analytical?

Answer 1

Yes

Question 2

It is ________ to deny God’s existence.

Answer 2

nonsense

Question 3

Once you understand the meaning of the word ‘God’…

Answer 3

you must recognise his existence.

Question 4

Who is the main advocate of the OA and what were his dates?

Answer 4

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Question 5

In which book did Anselm write his OA?

Answer 5

Proslogian

Question 6

What was Anselm responding to?

Answer 6

Psalm 14:1, where there is a ‘fool’ that denies God.

Question 7

In Anselm’s 1st OA, God is…

Answer 7

TTWNGCBC

Question 8

To Anselm, existing in reality and the mind alone is better than…

Answer 8

the mind alone.

Question 9

To have an idea of God as the greatest being…

Answer 9

proves his existence. (1st OA)

Question 10

Existence is a necessary and intrinsic _________ of God (1st OA)

Answer 10

predicate

Question 11

What is Anselm’s 2nd OA?

Answer 11

Something which cannot be thought not to exist is greater than anything which CAN be thought not to exist.

Question 12

According to Anselm’s 2nd argument, it is impossible to…

Answer 12

say that God cannot exist.

Question 13

If you say that God doesn’t exist…

Answer 13

you are contradicting yourself.

Question 14

God has… (2nd OA)

Answer 14

necessary existence, not contingent.

Question 15

If God existed contingently, he would not be great because…

Answer 15

he would rely on something else for existence.

Question 16

Gaunilo’s response to Anselm was ‘on behalf of…

Answer 16

the fool.’

Question 17

To Gaunilo, saying God cannot not exist does not prove that

Answer 17

God necessarily exists.

Question 18

How did Gaunilo describe Anselm’s theory?

Answer 18

‘Unintelligible’

Question 19

Gaunilo - You cannot move from what is said (de dicto) to…

Answer 19

what exists (de re)

Question 20

What example did Gaunilo use and what does it mean?

Answer 20

Perfect island. Just because it is perfect doesn’t mean it exists. This applies the same way to God.

Question 21

How did Anselm reply to Gaunilo’s “on behalf of the fool”? How did Plantinga add to this?

Answer 21

He said an island isn’t necessary, it has contingent exist.

Plantinga said there is no intrinsic maximum island, it can always be bettered.

Question 22

What book was Descartes’ OA in and what were his dates?

Answer 22

Meditations 3+5

1596-1650

Question 23

Descartes - God planted an idea of himself in…

Answer 23

everyone.

Question 24

Descartes - God cannot be doubted as he has already been…

Answer 24

demonstrated.

Question 25

What example did Descartes use in his OA? Explain it.

Answer 25

Triangles

Existence is a predicate of God, the same way 3 sides is a predicate or a triangle.

Question 26

Descartes - If God was not perfect…

Answer 26

his essence isn’t complete.

Question 27

What was Kant’s challenge to Descartes’ OA?

Answer 27

Existence is not a predicate.

Question 28

Kant on OA - Just because a part of God’s concept is existence…

Answer 28

it is still a synthetic concept. We need evidence.