Anselm's Ontological Argument

1270 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The ontological argument saint anselm

In Chapter 2 of Anselm's Proslogian, Anselm offers what was later to be characterized as his Ontological Argument, which is an argument for God's existence he felt was so strong that even a fool as is said in Psalms 14:1- "who has said in his heart, 'There is no God'". Anselm's argument is as follows :
1. God is 'that which nothing greater can be conceived'.
2. If someone understands a thing, than that thing exists in someone's understanding.
3. If someone understands 'that which nothing greater can be conceived', then 'that which nothing greater can be conceived' exists in someone's understanding. (from 1 and 2)
4. Someone understands 'that which nothing greater can be conceived'.
5. Therefore, 'that which nothing greater can be conceived' exists in someone's understanding. (from 3 and 4)
6. If 'that which nothing greater can be conceived' exists in someone's understanding, then 'that which nothing greater can be conceived' can be conceived to exist in reality as well.
7. Existing in reality as well as in someone's understanding is greater than existing in someone's understanding alone.
8. If 'that which nothing greater can be conceived' exists in someone's understanding alone, then something can be conceived which is greater than 'that which nothing greater can be conceived'. (from 6 and 7)
9. Nothing can be conceived which is greater than 'that which nothing greater can be conceived'.
10. Therefore, 'that which nothing greater can be conceived' doesn't exist in someone's understanding alone. (from 8 and 9)
11. Therefore, 'that which nothing greater can be conceived' exists in reality. (from 5 and 10)
12. Therefore, God exists in reality. (from 1 and 11).
Anselm's argument not only depends on the idea of something being 'that ...

... middle of paper ...

...ed', and this term is that which Anselm's entire argument rests.
If nothing else, Anselm spurred thought on the existence of God. The language it uses is simple enough to grasp, e.g.- greatness, existence, reality, etc. While it probably won't convince the Atheist that he is in error, it can take an already believing Christian and strengthen his conviction, which may have been the purpose in the first place, as some commentators have suggested that it wasn't intended to be a proof at all (Marenbon 121).

Works Cited

Chambers, Timothy. "On Behalf of the Devil: A Parody of Anselm Revisited." Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 100 (2000): 102-103.
Cosgrove, Matthew R. "Thomas Aquinas on Anselm's Argument." The Review of Metaphysics 27, No. 3 (1974): 513-514.
Marenbon, John. Midieval Philosophy: An Historical and Philosophical Introduction. Routledge, 2006.

Show More
Related

  • Aquinas versus Anselm

    908 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...nd since from what we know we can imagine things, the fact that we can imagine an infinite, transcendent, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent God is proof that He exists, since what can me thought of is real and can be known.” (ch. 2) Saint Thomas Aquinas' rebutting reply would be that it is simply not so, not everything can be known to mortal man and not all that is real is directly evident to us as mankind.

    Read More

  • Anselm's Ontological Argument Essay

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    To begin, Anselm’s ontological proof functions from the essence of God to God’s existence. The argument

    Read More

  • A Philoshpical Approach to Proving the Existence of God

    4011 Words  | 9 Pages

    The Ontological Argument, which argues from a definition of God’s being to his existence, is the first type of argument we are going to examine. Since this argument was founded by Saint Anslem, we will be examining his writings. Saint Anslem starts by defining God as an all-perfect being, or rather as a being containing all conceivable perfections. Now if in addition of possessing all conceivable perfections t...

    Read More

  • Anselm's Omnipotence

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Proslogion, Anselm tries to prove the existence of God and his powers through the ontological argument. This argument redirects the argument of God’s existence from science and observation to logic, where Anselm explains that there has to be a being that nothing greater can be thought of, and that is God. One of Anselm’s main topics of contention is God’s omnipotence and whether He is actually infinite. In the Proslogion, Anselm talks about God’s omnipotence and if it can be disavowed because of self-contradictory statements, how God’s non-action gives him more possibility and power, and how being all-powerful can lead to God being both merciful and yet not feel the pains of sinners.

    Read More

  • Humes' and Descartes' Position on the Existence of the External World

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ples ideas based on the operations of our own mind. For example, the idea of a unicorn is also a complex idea, along with God, while many of us have seen a picture of a unicorn someone had to invent the original idea of what a unicorn is without seeing a picture. The operations of our own mind have created this idea of God, which rebuts Descartes’ argument that we have knowledge on the external world because of God. Descartes would argue that Humes’ idea of God is natural and never derived from impressions. Hume’ consequently has the better argument claiming that idea of god is actually based on ideas of perfection and infinity is inferred from the ideas of imperfection and finitude.

    Read More

  • St. Anselm's Ontological Argument

    959 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another way that St. Anselm's argument differs from other arguments is that it requires that you look at a definition of the concept of God. As Sober says, the definition of an object does not, in itself, prove its existence. Some examples he gives are unicorns and golden...

    Read More

  • Descartes Proof Of God

    1660 Words  | 4 Pages

    He concludes he did not create the idea of God. A finite being is incapable of creating an idea of an infinite possibility. Therefore, God must have created the idea already in him when he was created. Concluding that God exists. He also touches upon the idea in which he resolves that it cannot be a deceiver.

    Read More

  • The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God

    1544 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ontological argument argues that if you understand what it means to talk about God, you will see His existence is necessarily true. Anselm defined God as 'that than which nothing greater can be conceived', hence God must exist. Anselm also believed that even atheist had a definition for God even just to disregard his existence; hence God exists in the mind. Anselm said this is so because that which exists in reality is greater than that which exists purely in the mind.

    Read More

  • Beliefs Beyond Doubt, What All Other Respond To: Rene Descartes' "Meditations on First Philosophy"

    2010 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...ail to reach it's end in a manner acceptable against Descartes' initial standards for justified true knowledge. In short, we can never know beyond any doubt that there exists a supremely good God, and consequently we can never know beyond any doubt whether or not we are somehow deceived about anything beyond the most simple intuitions.

    Read More

  • The Existence of a God

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    Creation in and of itself is an indisputable example of the existence of a higher being. The very existence of our universe and the things in it proves beyond a doubt that the...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Poem 'The Preface' By Edward Taylor

    453 Words  | 1 Pages

    We are asked first to comprehend "Infinity," and then to whatever "infinity" "beholds" in not everything but "nothing," and that "nothing" itself to become the building material for "all” (1-2). Identifying the paradox, perhaps, as that which begins the Biblical account of the Creation.

    Read More

  • Sophie's World, by Jostein Gaarder

    811 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Because all created things are limited, that which comes before and after them must be boundless" (Gaarder, Jostein 34)

    Read More

  • Imagination And Imagination Rene Descartes

    2036 Words  | 5 Pages

    But now it is possible for me to achieve full and certain knowledge about countless things, both about God and other intellectual maters, as well as about the entirety of that corporeal nature which is the object of pure mathematics” (Descartes 49). How are we supposed to understand anything about science or anything when we have no knowledge about God? God is where all knowledge comes from so how can we fully understand knowledge if we do not fully understand God. This quote by Rene Descartes means that when we finally understand God and his knowledge then we are capable of understanding anything in this world. The Meditator is saying before he had this knowledge about God he was incapable of understanding anything. Perfect knowledge comes from understanding the true God. When the Meditator achieved full knowledge of God he has truth about every science, intellectual matters, and pure mathematics. The Meditator has reached a stage where he has no reason to doubt anything anymore because he has found the true creator that holds all knowledge. By the end of the book the Meditator fully understands that the mind is far more complex then the body. The Meditator cannot complain the way that God

    Read More

  • St. Anselm of Canterbury

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anselm’s Ontological argument is insufficient in proving that God exists. For the reasons above and further objections from various philosophers, I do not believe that Anselm can argue the existence of God with his current premises as they stand. I must say that despite my objections to Anselm’s Ontological argument, I respect his work done, and the tremendous thought process that must have occurred to conjure up such a case as was presented. It is definitely much easier to prove a mortal wrong than it is to prove the existence of something so great and so unknown. Anselm’s Ontological argument while intriguing does have some problems in my opinion that take away from its validity; but needless to say it is in and of itself quite astounding.

    Read More

  • Descartes Doubt Analysis

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    So concluding that ‘I am,’ ‘I exist,’ is true whenever it is conceived in mind, attests the fact that since thinking is taking place, regardless of whether or not what is being thought of is true or not, implies that there must be something else involved in the notion, precisely the “I.” Consequently, “I exist” is a certain belief from which other certain truths can be inferred.

    Read More

More about Anselm's Ontological Argument

Open Document