Ontological Argument Flashcards
What is the ontological argument
An argument that uses words and definitions alone to prove gods existence
Who’s the main proponent for the ontological argument
At Anselm
What is the statement about god in relation to the ontological argument
God is perfect so god exists
Explain the quote god is perfect so god exists
Imaginary things can be made better by making them a reality therefore for god to be perfect he must exist because he can be no better
What is the main issue with the ontological argument
It depends on what definitions people have for perfection and existence
What quote does Anselm use to describe god
God is that nothing greater can be conceived
What analogy does gaunilo use to refute Anselm
An island
How does gaunilo use an island
He says that he can imagine a perfect island but by just describing it as perfect doesn’t make it instantly exist
What is Anselms response to gaunilo
There are two types of existence
What are the two types of existence
Necessary and contingent
What type of existence is god
Necessary
What type of existence is an island
Contingent
What is a necessary being
One that doesn’t rely on something else for its existence
What is a contingent being
One that relays on something else for its existence
What does Rene descartes say existence is
A predicate of god
What is a predicate
A characteristic
How does descartes strengthen this
He says that something cannot have a predicate (characteristic) and not exist
How does Aquinas criticise the ontological argument
He says that for us to describe something we must have an understanding of it. We have no understanding of god so we can’t describe him
How do David Hume and Bertrand Russel (empiricists) counter the ontological argument
There is no empirical evidence for god
How does Immanual Kant attack the predicate argument
He says that existence is not a predicate. If you reject the subject then there is no reason to argue the predicate so if someone rejects god then god is not perfect because they don’t believe in him
How does Alvin plantings attack the ontological argument
He says that it is ineffective to someone who doesn’t believe in god because they will have no concept of god
What analogy does platings use
The analogy of a blind person
Explain the analogy of a blind person
A blind person cannot see anything so you can’t prove that something has colour if they can’t see it
Is the ontological argument a priori or a posteriori
A priori
Is the ontological argument inductive or deductive
Deductive
