QUOTE BANK: THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGU.

Question 1

“That than which . . . ”

Answer 1

“That than which nothing greater can be thought.”

• Anselm

Question 2

“The greatest possible being must . . . ”

Answer 2

“The greatest possible being must have maximal excellence in every possible world.”

• Plantinga (Maximal Greatness)

Question 3

“For if it did not exist, any other . . . ”

Answer 3

“For if it did not exist, any other land existing in reality would be more excellent than it.”

• Gaunilo (Argument of the Perfect Island)

Question 4

“Lacks a single piece of . . . ”

Answer 4

“Lacks a single piece of data from the real world.”

• Dawkins (Evidence)

Question 5

“Without doubt, therefore, there exists, both in the understanding and in the . . . ”

Answer 5

“Without doubt, therefore, there exists, both in the understanding and in the reality, something than which a greater cannot be thought.”

• Anselm (Definition)

Question 6

“We cannot define something into . . . ”

Answer 6

“We cannot define something into existence - even if it has all the perfections we can imagine.”

• David Hume (Cannot Define Something into Existence)

Question 7

“The fool has already said in his . . . ”

Answer 7

“The fool has already said in his heart that there is no God.”

• Psalms 53 (The Fool)

Question 8

God exists either in the understanding alone or in the . . .

Premise 1.

Answer 8

God exists either in the understanding alone or in the understanding and reality.

• P1

Question 9

That which exists in reality is greater than that . . .

Premise 2.

Answer 9

That which exists in reality is greater than that which exists in the understanding alone.

• P2

Question 10

God is that than which nothing greater can . . .

Premise 3.

Answer 10

God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived.

• P3

Question 11

If God is TTWNGCBC, then he . . .

Premise 4.

Answer 11

If God is TTWNGCBC, then he must possess all perfections, including real existence.

• P4

Question 12

If God did not possess real existence . . .

Premise 5.

Answer 12

If God did not possess real existence, something else, which did possess real existence, would be greater than God.

• P5

Question 13

This is a logical impossibility given the . . .

Premise 6.

Answer 13

This is a logical impossibility given the definition of God above.

• P6

Question 14

Therefore . . .

Conclusion.

Answer 14

Therefore, God exists in reality.

• Conclusion

Question 15

I believe so that I . . .

Answer 15

I believe so that I may understand.

• Anselm (Belief and Understanding)

Question 16

… it can be thought also to exist in fact, and . . .

Answer 16

… it can be thought also to exist in fact, and that is more great…

• Anselm (That existence is greater than non-existence)

Question 17

For if it did not exist, any other land existing in . . .

Answer 17

For if it did not exist, any other land existing in reality would be more excellent than it…

• Gaunilo

Question 18

It is not that the concept of God needs to be . . .

Answer 18

It is not that the concept of God needs to be thought of, it needs to be really understood.

• Anselm (On understanding God)

Question 19

Not everyone who hears this word ‘God’ understands it to . . .

Answer 19

Not everyone who hears this word ‘God’ understands it to signify something than which nothing greater can be thought.

• Aquinas

Question 20

The proposition, God is omnipotent, contains two conceptions, which have a . . .

Answer 20

The proposition, God is omnipotent, contains two conceptions, which have a certain object or content; the word ‘is’, is no additional predicate…

• Kant

Question 21

…necessary and perfect existence is . . .

Answer 21

…necessary and perfect existence is contained in the concept of a supremely perfect being.

• Descartes