St Anselm’s Ontological argument

Question 1

Question: What is the first premise (P1) of Anselm’s Ontological Argument?

Answer 1

Answer: God is the greatest conceivable being (by definition).

Question 2

Question: What is the second premise (P2) of Anselm’s Ontological Argument?

Answer 2

Answer: It is greater to exist in reality than in the mind alone.

Question 3

Question: What is the third premise (P3) of Anselm’s Ontological Argument?

Answer 3

Answer: God exists in the mind.

Question 4

Question: What is the conclusion (C1) of Anselm’s Ontological Argument based on the premises?

Answer 4

Therefore, God exists in reality.

Question 5

Question: How does Anselm illustrate the concept of existence in the mind versus reality?

Answer 5

Answer: Anselm uses the illustration of a painter who has an idea of what they will paint in their mind before painting it in reality, showing that ideas can exist in the mind.

Question 6

Question: What biblical reference does Anselm use to support his argument?

Answer 6

Answer: Anselm points to Psalm 14:1: “the fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God’.”

Question 7

Question: How does Anselm address the atheist’s perspective in his argument?

Answer 7

Answer: Anselm argues that an atheist, by claiming not to believe in God, must still have an idea of God in their mind.

Question 8

Question: Why does Anselm argue that it is incoherent to think that God exists only in the mind?

Answer 8

Answer: Because we could conceive of something greater, i.e., God existing in reality, and since God is the greatest being, conceiving of anything greater is incoherent.

Question 9

Question: What does Anselm conclude about the idea of God existing only in the mind?

Answer 9

Answer: Anselm concludes that to say God exists only in the mind is to say that the greatest being is not the greatest being, which is self-contradictory.

Question 10

Question: Summarize Anselm’s key quote about the greatest conceivable being.

Answer 10

Answer: “That, than which nothing greater can be conceived, cannot exist in the understanding alone: then it can be conceived to exist in reality; which is greater… Hence, there is no doubt that there exists a being, than which nothing greater can be conceived, and it exists both in the understanding and reality.”