Ontological Argument Flashcards
Proslogium 2:
A priori
Logic
Deductive and analytic statements
God is the greatest conceivable being
Even a fool can conceive (psalm 14 the fool says in his heart there is no god)
Better to exist in mind and reality than mind alone (painter analogy and also water example)
Therefore god exists in mind and reality
Therefore god exists
Gaunilo: ‘on behalf of the fool’
The lost island is that than which nothing greater can be conceived
It is greater to exist in reality than mind alone
Therefore exists and mind and reality
Anselms response: proslogium 3
Distinguished between necessity and contingency
Necessary: would be a being whose non existence would be contradictory
Contingent: may or may not exist, dependent upon something else for its existence
Continued
Anselm defines God as ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’
Greater to be a necessary being than a contingent being
If god only existed contingently a greater being could be imagined
Contradicts gods def
Therefore god is necessary being
Islands= contingent God= necessary
Critique: Kant
Actually critiquing Descartes
Something can not be defined into existence:
Although necessary existence can be applied to god
Does not mean that god exists
The fact it could exist doesn’t mean it actually does
Existence is not a predicate:
Existence gives no more information about a subject (eg chair is blue, chair is blue and exists)
Thalers: can describe the appearance and the feel but saying they exist adds nothing more
There is no difference between concept of 100 thalers and 100 thalers that actually exist.
Critique: Aquinas/ Tillich
Challenged anselms def of god.
Humans cannot know the nature of god and any attempts to define God limits him
“To speak of god is to limit him”- Tillich
Hume?
Needs empirical evidence:
“Wise man proportions his belief to the evidence”
Barth:
Never intended as proof
Consisted of anselms meditations on religious experience
Eg prayer
