3.2.1 Ontological arguments

• Ontological arguments rely on empirical evidence to prove God's existence.

  False
• Who proposed one of the most famous ontological arguments?

  Anselm of Canterbury
• What is the basis of Anselm's definition of God in his ontological argument?

  "The greatest conceivable being"
• What is the premise of Anselm's ontological argument?

  God is the greatest conceivable being
• According to Anselm, God must exist in reality to avoid contradiction.
• Who is credited as the key proponent of ontological arguments?

  Anselm of Canterbury
• What is the starting point of Anselm's ontological argument?

  God is the greatest conceivable being
• Anselm concluded that God must exist in reality to avoid contradicting the definition of God.
• Gaunilo's criticism highlights that existence is not an inherent attribute of a definition.
• Steps in Descartes' ontological argument:

  1️⃣ God possesses all perfections

  2️⃣ Necessary existence is a perfection

  3️⃣ God necessarily exists
• Ontological arguments rely on a priori reasoning
• Steps of Anselm's ontological argument

  1️⃣ God is defined as the greatest conceivable being

  2️⃣ God exists either in the mind alone or in reality

  3️⃣ Reality is greater than existing only in the mind

  4️⃣ Therefore, God must exist in reality
• Steps of Descartes' ontological argument

  1️⃣ God possesses all perfections

  2️⃣ Necessary existence is a perfection

  3️⃣ God necessarily exists
• Kant argued that existence is a predicate that can be derived from a definition

  False
• Ontological arguments use a priori reasoning rather than observations.
• Anselm argued that God is "the greatest conceivable being."
• Anselm's ontological argument relies on a priori reasoning rather than empirical evidence.
• What type of reasoning is used in ontological arguments?

  A priori
• Anselm argued that God is "the greatest conceivable being."
• Anselm believed that God's existence could only be mental, not real.

  False
• What analogy did Gaunilo use to criticize Anselm's ontological argument?

  The Perfect Island
• What did Descartes emphasize as a necessary attribute of God in his ontological argument?

  Necessary existence
• Descartes argued that necessary existence is a type of perfection.
• Anselm argued that God exists because He is the greatest conceivable being and existence is an attribute that makes Him greater

  True
• Gaunilo's "Perfect Island" analogy suggests that existence is an inherent attribute of any conceivable concept

  False
• Match the key difference between Anselm and Descartes:

  Basis of Argument ↔️ Greatest conceivable being vs. God possesses all perfections

  Type of Existence ↔️ General existence vs. Necessary existence

  Emphasis ↔️ Greatness vs. Perfections
• Hume challenged the assumption that necessary existence is a meaningful metaphysical claim
• What is the core premise of Gaunilo's "Perfect Island" criticism of ontological arguments?

  Existence is not inherent
• Match each critic with their key criticism of ontological arguments:

  Gaunilo ↔️ Existence does not automatically follow from a definition or concept

  Kant ↔️ Existence is not a predicate

  Hume ↔️ We cannot genuinely conceive of "the greatest conceivable being"
• Hume argued that our ideas are unlimited by our experiences.

  False
• Gaunilo's "Perfect Island" criticism highlights that conceiving of a perfect being does not guarantee its existence
• What is the primary basis of ontological arguments for proving God's existence?

  The concept of God
• Anselm believed that existence is an attribute that would make God greater.


  True
• Steps in Anselm's ontological argument:

  1️⃣ God is the greatest conceivable being

  2️⃣ God exists either in the mind alone or in reality

  3️⃣ Existence in reality is greater than in the mind alone

  4️⃣ Therefore, God must exist in reality
• Anselm argued that existence in reality is greater than existence in the mind alone.

  True
• Anselm defined God as "the greatest conceivable being" in his ontological argument.


  True
• Steps in Anselm's ontological argument:

  1️⃣ God is the greatest conceivable being

  2️⃣ God exists either in the mind alone or in reality

  3️⃣ Existence in reality is greater than in the mind alone

  4️⃣ Therefore, God must exist in reality
• Why did Anselm argue that God must exist in reality?

  To avoid contradiction
• Gaunilo argued that conceiving of the greatest conceivable island necessitates its existence.

  False
• Descartes defined God as a being possessing all perfections.

  True