Zusammenfassung der Ressource
The Ontological argument
- Anselm's argument
- 1)God is TTWNGCBC (even fool
has this idea of god). 2) God exists
in mind. 3)If god existed in reality
would be greater
- 4) So there could be a greater
being than the greatest being
conceived? CONTRADICTION.
- 5) So God must exist in reality
as well as the understanding
- Criticisms
- Gaunilo: Paradise island - must
exist or not perfect island.
Obviously not right - cant define
into existence
- Anselm responded: PI - contingent, God is
necessary. Take existence away from
concept of God changed beyond
recognition, PI: perfection not in defini.
- God must exist to be the
greatest conceivable
being: existence essential
property
- Hume's counter: Idea of necessary
existence is meaningless
- an only have 2 sorts of knowledge
(matters of fact and relation of ideas)
Not matters of fact
- Conclusion a priori - only relations of
ideas can be a priori. If God exists a
priori shouldnt be able to deny
without contradicting self
- There is no being who's non existence
implies contradiction - possible to
conceive of god not existing and think of
Him. Gods existence not necessary
- Schopenhauer: conclusion
written into premise from
start. Not fair
- Descartes Ontological argument:
- 1) have idea of God, 2) God is
supremely perfect, 3)existence
is perfection, 4) God must exist
- Criticisms
- Gassendi said
Existence not part of
idea of God
- Descartes responded that it is
entailed by other properties
(perfection)
- Can't have mountain
without the valley or think of
triangle without 3 sides,
can't think of god without
existence
- Bounds of thoughts good
indicators of what is possible:
conceptual connection between
concepts of god and gods
existence.
- Entails God must exist
- Kant: Not contradiction to
reject both valley and
mountain at same time
- Kant: Existence not a
property
- E.g. Sofa is green adds
something to idea, sofa
exists adds nothing
- Malcolm's Modern
ontological argument
- God is self sufficient
and not dependent on
anything
- 2) God does not
exist - can never
exist (contingent)
- 1)God does exist
- Existence is
necessary
- Says idea of God is
not self contradictory
- so must be 1) (apparently)
- Different kinds of existence
e.g. Exist infinite prime
numbers is different to there
exists a chair