theme 1 - developments to the ontological argument

Question 1

what is descartes definition of God?

Answer 1

• god is a ‘supremely perfect being’ - a being that possesses all perfections and lacks flaws

Question 2

what 3 things does descartes argue god possesses?

Answer 2

• the best for, of all attributes: omnipotence, omnibenevolence, omniscience

Question 3

what does descartes argue about the existence of God?

Answer 3

• god must exist otherwise he would not be the most perfect being

Question 4

what analogy does descartes use to prove the existence of god?

Answer 4

• the triangle analogy

Question 5

what is descartes’ triangle analogy?

Answer 5

• existence is part of the definition of god in the same way that 3 angles and 3 sides is part of the definition of a triangle
• if we think of a triangle we necessarily think of a shape that has 3 sides and 3 angles that add up to 180°
• in the same way it is impossible to think about vid without the attribute of existence

Question 6

what other analogy does descartes use to prove the existence of god?

Answer 6

• mountain / valley analogy

Question 7

what is descartes’ mountain / valley analogy

Answer 7

• one cannot think of a mountain without thinking of the corresponding valley (wherever there is one there is always by definition the other)
• ‘i cannot conceive god without existence’

Question 8

what does descartes’ mountain / valley analogy argue about god?

Answer 8

• god has necessary existence as one of his attributes
• god alone possesses this perfection
• god therefore exists

Question 9

what does malcolm argue about gods existence?

Answer 9

• god is an unlimited being
• aims to prove gods existence as necessary rather than just possible

Question 10

does malcom accept or reject Anselm and Descartes’ arguments?

Answer 10

• rejects

Question 11

why does malcom reject Anselm and Descartes’ arguments?

Answer 11

• you cannot add the concept of existence to a list of qualities that something has and claim that it exists

Question 12

which one of Anselm’s proslogions does malcom agree with and why?

Answer 12

• proslogion 3 (god has necessary existence)
• because god is there greatest being that can be thought of, so he must have necessary existence

Question 13

what did malcolm argue about anselm’s definition of god? why?

Answer 13

• god can also be a limitless being
• if he did have limits he would not be the greatest being that could be imagined and would not be worthy of worship