Topic 1.2 Ontological Argument Flashcards
Who came up with the Ontological argument?
St. Anslem
How was the Ontological argument ‘demolished’ by Kant
He said “existence is not a predicate”
What analogy can you use to support it?
Imagine your favourite dinner, complete and perfect. If this dinner existed in real life, it would be better than the imaginary one. As God is inferior to nothing, as a non existing God is inferior to a real one.
What did French Monk Gaunilo say about the Ontological argument?
He said if you replace ‘God’ with ‘Island’ it doesn’t work.
Why does the Ontological argument not work for some people?
Because just because you can imagine God, it does not mean that he exists.
What does the ontological argument base itself on?
The idea of existence being greater than non-existence.
What did Rene Descartes version of the Ontological argument say?
He said that some things are part of our essence, like 3 sides in a triangle or God existing. As we have innate ideas of God, he exists.
Why did Malcolm say God’s existence was possible?
He said it was not impossible.
Malcolm’s argument id not accepted as what?
As things can exist without being impossible to exist.
