ontological arguments

Question 1

define ontological arguments

Answer 1

-use priori reasoning
-aim to deduce gods existence from the definition of god, if works then ‘god exists’ is an analytic truth

Question 2

define Anselm’s ontological argument

Answer 2

-by definition god is a being greater then which cannot be conceived
-it is greater to exist in reality then to exist only in mind
-therefore god exists

Question 3

how does Anselm’s ontological argument prove gods existence

Answer 3

it is greater to exist in reality then to exist in mind and since god is the greatest possible being, the greatest possible being would be one that exists in reality and not just in the mind, so god exists

Question 4

what responds to Anselm’s ontological argument

Answer 4

Gaunilo’s island

Question 5

how does Gaunilo’s island respond to Anslem

Answer 5

if Anselm’s argument is valid then anything can be defined into existence

Question 6

what example does Gaunilo use

Answer 6

perfect island

Question 7

define the Gaunilo’s perfect island example

Answer 7

-the perfect island is by definition an island greater then which cannot be conceived
-we can coherently conceive of such an island i.e. the concept is coherent
-it is greater to exist in reality then to exist only in mind
-therefore the island must exist

Question 8

what does Gaunilo’s perfect island example conclude

Answer 8

-it follows the same format as Anselm’s but the conclusion is obviously false
-we could use the format to define anything into existence

Question 9

as well as Gaunilo’s island, who else responds to Anselm

Answer 9

Kant

Question 10

how does Kant argue against Anselm

Answer 10

existence is not a predicate

Question 11

define Kant’s argument of existence not being a predicate

Answer 11

adding existence to a concept does not make it any more real e.g. unicorn

Question 12

define Kant’s unicorn example

Answer 12

-imagine a unicorn
-then imagine a unicorn that exists
-there is no difference between the 2
-adding existence to the idea of a unicorn doesn’t make the idea exist

Question 13

how does Kant’s unicorn example apply to god

Answer 13

adding existence to the concept of god doesn’t change anything

Question 14

how does Kant’s unicorn example apply to the existence of god

Answer 14

-when someone says ‘god exists’ they don’t mean ‘there is a concept of god and he has the property of existence’
-if they did then when they say ‘god doesn’t exist’ they would mean ‘there is a god who has the property of non existence’ which doesn’t make sense

Question 15

who’s ontological argument avoids Kant

Answer 15

Norman Malcolm

Question 16

what does Norman Malcolm argue

Answer 16

-necessary existence
- it’s not existence that is perfection but the logical impossibility of non existence

Question 17

define Malcolm’s ontological argument

Answer 17

-the concept of god is the concept of a being with necessary existence
-such a being either exists or doesn’t
-if such a being doesn’t exist then it’s impossible for it to ever exist
-but it’s not impossible for such a being to exist
-therefore such a being (with necessary existence) exists

Question 18

what responds to Malcolm’s ontological argument

Answer 18

fallacy of equivocation

Question 19

define the fallacy of equivocation

Answer 19

-the meaning of necessary changes between the premises and the conclusion
-in the premises he talks about existence in the sense of property, but in conclusion talks about it being a necessary truth that god exists

Question 20

how does the fallacy of equivocation argue against god

Answer 20

-the concept of god may have the property of necessary existence but does not show that it is a necessary truth that god exists

Question 21

what does the fallacy of equivocation conclude

Answer 21

we can imagine a being with the property of necessary existence, but this isn’t the same thing as saying such a being exists necessarily

Question 22

as well as the fallacy of equivocation, what else responds to Malcolm

Answer 22

the concept of god is self contradictory

Question 23

define the concept of god is self contradictory argument

Answer 23

the concept of god is self contradictory e.g. the paradox of the stone

Question 24

define the paradox of the stone

Answer 24

-if god is omnipotent, can he create a stone so heavy he cannot lift
-if he cant then he’s not powerful enough to create this stone
-if he can then he’s not powerful enough to lift the stone
-either way there is something god cannot do meaning he is not omnipotent

Question 25

do ontological arguments prove gods existence (25 mark plan)

Answer 25

p1-intro
-ontological arguments do not prove gods existence
-define key terms
p2-argument 1
-Anselm’s ontological argument
p3-response 1
-Gaunilo’s island
p4-response 2
-existence is not a predicate
p5-argument 2
-Norman Malcolm’s ontological argument
p6-response 3
-fallacy of equivocation
p7-response 4
-concept of god is self contradictory
p8-conclusion
-ontological arguments, both Anselm and Malcolm, fail to prove the existence of god from the definition of god