The argument to side with in this paper is that of Anselm’s “Proslogian” where he argues for the existence of God in a less complex way as compared to the Monologian. Inevitably, the Proslogian received criticism from other notable philosophers, some of which will be addressed in this paper as well. Once the fool understands that than which nothing greater can be thought, he will comprehend the existence of God. The divine attributes of God will also be discussed to aid in the fool’s understanding of God’s existence. The premises of the ontological argument are as follows:
1. If that than which nothing greater can be thought can be thought, then it exists in reality.
2. It can be thought.
3. Therefore, That than which nothing greater can be thought (it) exists in reality.
The main reason for the writing of the Proslogian was to offer a standalone argument that would explain the existence of God but also the various attributes that Christians believe God has. Some of these attributes belong only to God while some He shares with His creatures. The attribute of All-Powerful complements Anselm’s argument “that than which nothing greater can be thought”. God is the creator of the universe, He is present everywhere, He is Infinite and Unchanging. A fool may not fully comprehend God’s essence, but Anselm offers the Proslogian as a more simple argument to aid in the understanding of the existence of God.
There is a difference in the object existing in the mind as compared to the object actually existing. For example when a movie director plans beforehand what he or she is going to film, he has the idea in his mind, but he does not yet think that it actually exists because he has not yet made the film. However, when he has actua...
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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...
St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas were considered as some of the best in their period to represent philosophy. St. Anselm’s argument is known as the ontological argument; it revolves entirely around his statement, “God is that, than which no greater can be conceived” (The Great Conversation, Norman Melchert 260). St. Thomas Aquinas’ argument is known as the cosmological argument; it connects the effects of events to the cause for why they happened. Anselm’s ontological proof and Aquinas’ cosmological proof both argued for God’s existence, differed in the way they argued God’s existence, and had varying degrees of success using these proofs.
In this paper, I have argued that Anselm’s ontological argument is reliant on Anselm’s confidential faith in God, Anselm by now trust in God, and the argument is plainly and endeavor to change Anselm’s faith into a kind of intellectual understanding.
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There are often many mixed views when discussing God’s existence. In Anselm’s works “The Proslogion” and “Anselm’s Reply to Gaunilo” and Gaunilo’s work the “Reply on Behalf of the Fool”, both of their philosophies on the matter are imparted. Anselm’s logic regarding God is correct as he sustains his argument even when it confronted with criticisms and it is comprehensible.
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.
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In the following I intend to prove that the ontological argument is in and of itself, insufficient in proving that God exists. There are a few problems with the argument that I will be discussing in detail in an attempt to illustrate exactly why ‘The Ontological Argument’ is unsatisfactory.
Blaike (2000) asserted that ontology to involve, “claims and assumptions that are made about natur...
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2001) Retrieved February 2, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/a/aristotl.htm