Anselm's Ontological Argument

Anselm's Ontological Argument

1. Anselm coined the Ontological Argument: "That than which nothing greater can be conceived."

   • You cannot imagine a being greater than God.
   • If God is perfect in every way then He must exist in reality. If He existed only in the mind we could imagine a more perfect God.
     • If God is the greatest thing imaginable, He must exist. For if He didn't, you could imagine something greater.
   • St Anselm was the Arch Bishop of Canterbury and a Benedictine Monk.
   • Anselm states that existence is a predicate (quality) of God.
     • Anselm's first argument: Proslogion 2
       • 1) God is the greatest possible being which can be thought of.
       • 2) God may exist either in the mind alone, or in reality as well.
       • 3) Something which exists in reality and in the mind is greater than something which exists only as a concept in the mind.
       • Conclusion: God must exist in reality and in the mind, or we have not thought of the greatest possible being.
     • Anselm's second argument: Proslogion 3
       • 1) God is that being nothing greater than which can be thought of.
       • 2) Something which cannot be thought not to exist is greater than anything which can be thought not to exist.
       • Conclusion: It is impossible to think this being cannot exist.
     • Psalm 53: "The fool says in his heart there is no God."
   • Inspired by Plato. Plato used the idea that each thing has an essence without which it would not be what it is.

2. The only deductive argument for the existence of God.

   • Deductive arguments= based on a priori knowledge. The conclusion is implied directly by the premises - it flows directly from the premises.
     • If the premises are true then the conclusion must be true.
     • A priori = based on the use of logic alone. No experience needed.

3. Anselm was primarily concerned with showing that it is reasonable to believe in God.

4. The argument in the Monologion starts with the premise that everybody desires things in life which they suppose to be good. Anselm argues that all people must have an idea of goodness and justice in their minds.

   • All of the principles which help us to understand truth, beauty, goodness and justice are to be discovered in God, a being who is 'good through itself since every other good is good through it.'
     • Without God we could not order/rank goods, as He is the entity that gives us this ability. Because we can, God must exist.

5. He argues that the atheist does not believe in God because he has either not heard of God, or because he is irrationally ignorant.

6. The Proslogion was written with the existence of God having been already established and the definition of God already decided. The Monologion had already proven God's existence.

7. Quanilo criticised Anselm's Ontological Argument

   • Guanilo argued that Anselm's logic can be used by substitution of terms to prove the existence of a perfect island.
   • He substituted the term 'that than which no greater can be conceived' with the word 'island' to prove that the Ontological argument can be used to argue something into existence.
     • "Anselm is trying to move from a definition of God to the suggestion of God's existence. This is not a valid move."
     • Just because you can think it, this does not mean it is real. You cannot define things into existence..
     • Guanilo also stated that we cannot conceive of perfection as we have no experience of it.
       • "I do not deny that such an island could exist, I simply will not agree that it does until I have been shown proof."
     • Anselm responded to Guanilo's criticism in two parts.
       • Islands are contingent and God exists necessarily. Islands are caused to exist and can cease existing, whereas God is not subject to either of these problems. Therefore, it is possible for there to be something greater than this island, but not greater than God. We can always add to the great island to make it greater because it is contingent.
       • Anselm's concept of God is objective and immutable. God cannot change. Islands are contingent so they are subjective. One person's idea of the ideal island may not match up to another person's.
         • God exists objectively and his nature does not vary from person to person - He is omnibenevolent, omnipotent and omniscient.