Ontological argument

Question 1

What is an analytic and synthetic statement?

Answer 1

Analytical - Proposition which is incoherent and COMPLETELY RIGHT e.g. triangle has 3 sides
Synthetic - Refers to statement the truth or falsity is yet to be verified. E.g. car is green - the car may not be green in this light may actually be brown

Question 2

Intro for ontological argument (Who, why, where did he write etc)

Answer 2

Anselm proposed it in his book Proslogion. Book begins with Psalm 14: “Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God”“.He focussed on the nature of God.

Question 3

What type of argument did Anselm propose?

Answer 3

Its a deductive, based on a priori knowledge argument

Question 4

List 4 parts of Anselm’s first argument and give a quote from him to support this.

Answer 4

1) God greatest possible being to be conceived
2) God may exists in mind (in intellectu) alone or in reality (in re) and the mind too.
3) Something which exists in reality and in the mind is greater than something which exists as an idea in the mind alone
4) therefore God must exist in both reality and the mind
“There is no doubt that there exists a being, that which nothing greater can be conceived, and it exists in both understanding and reality”

Question 5

Whats an example to aid Anselm’s first argument?

Answer 5

Example of unicorn : we can conceive unicorns but that does not mean they exist in reality. We can conceive them but they dont exist in reality whereas God does exist in reality and the mind

Question 6

What predicate must an idea which exists in reality and in the mind have?

Answer 6

Something which exists in reality and in the mind must have a quality which ideas in the mind alone don’t have : Existence.

Question 7

What is Anselm’s analytical statement?

Answer 7

That God exists in reality and in the mind. Existence is a predicate of God.

Question 8

What did Anselm say was a predicate of god’s nature?

Answer 8

Existence is a predicate of god’s nature therefore God’s existence is analytic and supremely necessary

Question 9

What was Anselm’s second version of his argument? (2 premise - conclusion, add quote)

Answer 9

1) “God is a being which nothing greater can be conceived” God is the greatest being conceivable, its impossible to think of a being greater than him
2) It is greater to think something is impossible not to exist than possible not to exist
3) therefore its impossible to believe God does not exist meaning he has a necessary existence.

Question 10

What type of being is Anselm’s God? (Give example of the other type of beings)

Answer 10

God is a necessary being.
Fuelled by idea that God has a necessary existence and its impossible for him not to exist. Everything which exists is contingent and caused by something else.
- GOD must have a necessary existence as if he was contingent he’d rely on something else meaning he wouldn’t be the supreme being. God is only thing in the universe without a cause as if God was contingent he would have caused himself.

Question 11

Who opposed Anselm’s ontological argument and where did he write this?

Answer 11

Gaunilo opposed it and wrote “on behalf of the fool” to respond to Anselm.

Question 12

What are the 3 concepts of Gaunilo’s argument against Anselm?

Answer 12

1) Gossip - First the fool may have many things in his mind that do not exist in reality. Hearing about ppl from gossip is not reliable and is made up to trick you - doesn’t exist
2) Defining things into existence - He said you can’t just define things into existence = You cant prove from what is said that it is real
3) Gaunilo’s island - Said if we replace idea of God with a perfect island we can prove that his argument is wrong. If island is perfect and its better for something to exist in reality and existence is a predicate of perfection so our perfect island must exist in reality. We don’t know if its true we cant bring things into existence by defining them as superlative (expressing highest degree of a quality)

Question 13

What was Anselm’s response to Gaunilo?

Answer 13

1) When you think of greatest possible being you ‘conceive of a being which can not be even conceived not to exist’’ Gaunilo’s island cant be conceived not to exist
2) An islands existence is contingent it isnt necessary they are different things completely.

Question 14

Name 2 main aspect of Descartes’ ontological argument:

Answer 14

1) Triangles

2) Perfection

Question 15

Who was Rene Descartes what were his 3 primary beliefs?

Answer 15

French philosopher wrote Meditations on Philosophy examining nature of reality and God.
1 - God placed idea of him within everyone (stamp of craftsman)
2- Some things cant be doubted like Maths (God’s existence)
3 - demonstrating God’s existence isn’t about proving anything its about showing there isn’t reason to doubt his existence

Question 16

How does Decartes use Triangles to explain what he means?

Answer 16

Nature of triangle that is has 3 sides and interior angles add to 180 degrees. This is immutable (incapable of change) Triangles are what they are and Descartes pointed out that even if nobody what a triangle was it’d still have 3 sides. Like a triangle God’s nature is immutable. For him too, a predicate of God is his existence

Question 17

What did Descartes mean by perfection? (example)

Answer 17

He means not lacking in any way. There is noperfect house, only an idea. It is not perfect until it exists Existence is predicate of God like how a mountain and a valley go together. You can’t talk about one if the other does not exist.

Question 18

What is Kant’s response to the ontological argument?

Answer 18

• Existence is not a predicate.
• Existence is part of the concept of God but it can’t prove he exists. All statements are synthetic (need to be tested if true or false)
• Thinking about something existing cannot make it exist existence doesn’t add a synthetic quality to God.

Question 19

What was Kant’s response to the example of a triangle?

Answer 19

If you dismiss the sides and angles (predicates) and if you dismiss the triangle (subjext) then you are left with nothing so saying a triangle does not have 3 sides is not longer a contradiction

Question 20

What was Pierre Gassendi’s response?

Answer 20

Said things either exist or dont. Its only relevant to discuss perfection of things we know exist. Like a yeti or unicorn, perfection is irrelevant.

Question 21

What was Norman Malcolm’s response to gassendi?

Answer 21

Gods existence is different as God has necessary existence which is a predicate unlike a triangle, unicorn or santa.

Question 22

What was Alvin Plantinga’s response to Gaunilo? QUOTE too

Answer 22

However great an island is there can always be a better one there is no intrinsic maxim (God is maximally great) therefore comparison is not possible .
“The idea of a greatest possible island is inconsistent”

Question 23

List/dont explain the main aspects/names of the ontological argument.

Answer 23

Anselm -> First argument(proslogion) second argument (proslogion 3 - contingency and necessity). And existence being a predicate
Descartes -> 3 qualities, triangle - perfection

Question 24

List 3 basic parts of Descartes’ argument

Answer 24

1) God is supremely perfect
2) A property of perfection is existence
3) Therefore God exists.

Question 25

List names of counterarguments to ontological argument:

Answer 25

1) Gaunilo respond to Anselm - Anselm responds back
2) Kant responds to Descartes
3) Gassendi responds but Normal Malcom responds