Exist of God - Reason

• A Priori argument


  Arguments which draw conclusions through the use of reason.
• Ontological argument is a deductive argument, using logic rather than depending on the evidence of sense experience.
• Everything exists in a contingent way. It depends upon other factors.

  (Apart from God)
• God isn't a 'thing'


  • God hasn't come about because of anything.
  • There was no time when God didn't exist & nothing would cause God to cease to exist.
• Tillich argues that 'exists' isn't the right word to use for God at all.
• Anselm created the ontological argument from a perspective of 'faith seeking understanding' rather than in an attempt to convert unbelievers.
• Anselm set out his argument in his book Proslogion.
• Anselm's 1st argument

  1. God is that than which nothing greater can be thought.
  2. A real existent being would be greater than imaginary, illusionary being.
  3. Therefore, the concept of God is surpassed by an actual, existent God.
• Anselm's 2nd argument

  1. God is that than which nothing greater can be thought.
  2. Contingent beings (everything) are inferior to beings with necessary existence (God).
  3. Because God is unsurpassable in every way, God must have necessary existence.
  4. Therefore, God exists - necessarily.
• Necessary existence is , in Anselm's view, part of the whole definition of God.

  It made no sense to talk of a God who does not exist, because then he would no be God.
• Existence of God doesn't need to be referenced to evidence. We can know it by simply considering the concept of God.
• The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' - Psalm 14:1
• Gaunilo argued that if we replace 'God' with 'island' in Anselm's argument, we can see how the argument falls down.
• Gaunilo

  • Gaunilo applies this to an Island.
  • He explained that we could imagine the most excellent island (the notion exists as a concept in our minds).
  • We then will use Anselm's logic to say that such an island exists because it is only the most excellent island if it exists in mind & reality.
  • But there is clearly no such island in reality.
  • We cannot bring something into existence just by defining its superlative.
• Anselm's reply

  • Gaunilo missed the point.
  • God isn't a perfect thing like the island, God is THE perfect thing.
  • Islands can be improved (more water, sand) but God cannot.
  • Islands exist contingently but God exists necessarily.
• Existence is a predicate (A)

  • Anselm saw existence as a predicate of God.
  • The concept (God) has to have that predicate to be itself - quality contained within it.
  • By analysing the word "God" it will be obvious, says Anselm, that God exists.
• Gaunilo - defining into existence

  You can't prove from what is said (de dicto) to what exists in reality (de re).

  You simply cannot demonstrate existence by having an idea about it.
• Kant - objection

  • Directed towards premise 3.
  • Premise 3 entails that (1) existence is a property and (2) existence makes a thing better.
  • Thus Kant rejects premise 3 on the ground that existence doesn't function as a predicate.
  • A predicate must add quality, existence doesn't add any meaning.
• Being is evidently not a predicate. - Kant
• Descartes defending Anselm

  • God is the "supremely perfect being".
  • To be truly perfect, something must exist.
  • Existence is a part of perfection which God cannot lack.
  • Therefore, God must exist.
• Descartes

  • Trying to imagine God without the predicate of existence is illogical, like trying to imagine a triangle without 3 sides.
  • Necessary existence cannot be divorced from the concept of a supremely perfect being.
• Kant critique

  • I can accept that being half-woman and half -fish is a defining predicate of the idea of a mermaid. I would not be contradicting if I said I didn't believe in mermaids.
  • In the same way, I could accept that if God existed, then he would necessarily exist but if I said I didn't believe in God, I wouldn't be contradicting.