philosophy Flashcards
ONTOLOGICAL ESSAY PLAN “To what extent does St Anselm’s ontological argument prove the necessary existence of God?”
“We cannot derive the existence of God from his definition. Discuss”
“As existence is never a defining predicate, it cannot be a defining predicate of the concept of God.”
What is Anselm’s argument for the existence of God in ‘Proslogion’ Chapter 2?
Anselm’s argument is an a priori deductive argument based on reason, moving from the premise of God’s existing nature to explanation. He claims a contradiction is impossible. He quotes Psalms 14: “The fool says in his heart ‘There is no God’” and argues that the fool contradicts himself because God, by definition, is “something which nothing greater can be thought.” If God can be conceived in the mind but reality is greater than thought, then God must exist in reality to fit his definition as the Greatest Conceivable Being
