Ontological arguments (God)

Question 1

What are ontological arguments?

Answer 1

Deductive arguments based around apriorist definitions where Gods concept is observed empirically. By definition Gods existence can be proven.

Question 2

What is ontology?

Answer 2

A study of Gods purpose as a necessary being. Studying the definition of something and its predicates.

Question 3

Explain Anselm’s ontological argument

Answer 3

p1) God is the greatest conceivable being
p2)It’s greater to exist in mind and reality than just the mind
C)Therefore, as the greatest conceivable being, God must exist in reality.
Using Gods predicates it must logically mean he has to exist in order to be the maximal greatness.

Question 4

Explain Gaunilo’s reply to Anselm

Answer 4

p1)It is possible to conceive of the most perfect and real lost island.
p2)It is greater to exist in reality than only in the mind
C)Therefore the most perfect and real lost island must exist in reality.
Gaunilo argues through Anselm’s logical anything can be brought into reality, proving his logical is flawed. In order to be maximally great it HAS to exist.

Question 5

What are the issues with Gaunilo’s island?

Answer 5

Gaunilo conflates Hume’s Fork and attempts to compare an island (contingent) with God (synthetic) and by crossing the Fork his argument becomes meaningless. Perfect islands are contingent because they are our own preferences shaped by experience. There is not one objective perfect island and so Anselm successfully rebukes Gaunilo. Only proves CONCEPT not REALITY.

Question 6

Explain Descartes ontological argument

Answer 6

P1) I have the idea of God
P2)The idea of God is the idea of a supremely perfect being
P3)A supremely perfect being does not lack any perfection
P4)Existence is a perfection
C)Therefore God must exist
It logically works as a deductive argument and is short and concise so Occam’s razor is fulfilled.

Question 7

Explain empiricist objections to ontological arguments

Answer 7

Hume’s Fork and Ayer’s verification principle.
Descartes argues we have apriori concepts of perfection and existence so we can deduce God’s existence.

Question 8

What are Kant’s objections to ontological arguments?

Answer 8

Rejection of the paradox) God’s CONCEPT requires all his omniqualities etc in order to be God, but we can reject the whole statement because God doesn’t exist in nature he is just a concept.
2)Existence is not a predicate. 100 coins example. intellectue (100 coins theory) and re (100 coins in reality)
3)reject God as an analytic claim. Existence sounds analytic but isn’t