1.3 Ontological Argument

• Who created the Ontological Argument and in what year?

  St Anselm created the Ontological Argument in 1077 AD.
• What does ontology refer to?

  Ontology refers to 'being' or 'existing' or the nature of being.
• What is a characteristic of a priori arguments?

  A priori arguments are based solely on an analysis of the concept of God.
• Why has the Ontological Argument proven controversial?

  Many critics of the argument are religious but doubt its validity.
• What type of reasoning do ontological arguments use?

  Ontological arguments are deductive.
• What is a strength of a priori arguments for God?

  A priori arguments cannot be undermined by new scientific evidence.
• What does the truth of the premises in a deductive argument entail?

  The truth of the premises logically entails the truth of the conclusion.
• What is St Anselm's first premise in his Ontological Argument?

  God is the greatest conceivable being (by definition).
• What is St Anselm's second premise in his Ontological Argument?

  It is greater to exist in reality than in the mind alone.
• What is St Anselm's third premise in his Ontological Argument?

  God exists in the mind.
• What conclusion does St Anselm reach in his Ontological Argument?

  Therefore, God exists in reality.
• How does Anselm illustrate the distinction between existing in the mind and in reality?

  • Anselm uses the illustration of a painter.
  • The painter has an idea in their mind before painting it in reality.
  • This shows the difference between existing in the mind alone versus existing in both mind and reality.
• Which Psalm does Anselm reference to support his argument?

  Psalm 14:1.
• What does Anselm argue about the idea of God existing only in the mind?

  It would be incoherent since we could conceive of something greater, i.e., God existing in reality.
• What does Anselm conclude about the existence of God?

  God must exist in reality because to say otherwise is self-contradictory.
• What does Anselm claim about a being than which nothing greater can be conceived?

  It cannot exist in the understanding alone.
• What does Anselm mean by 'necessary existence'?

  A necessary being contains its own reason for existence and does not depend on anything else.
• How does Malcolm interpret Anselm's term 'greater'?

  Malcolm interprets it as referring to whether a being is limited due to dependence on something else for existence.
• What does Hartshorne call Anselm's insight about necessary existence?

  Hartshorne calls it "Anselm's discovery".
• What analogy does Anselm use to explain our understanding of God?

  We can’t fully look at the sun but can still see daylight.
• What is Gaunilo's objection to Anselm's premise that God exists in the mind?

  Gaunilo argues that God is beyond our understanding, so cannot be in the understanding.
• What does Aquinas argue against Anselm's reasoning?

  Aquinas argues that God's nature is beyond our understanding and people have different understandings of God.
• What does Gaunilo doubt about the concept of the greatest conceivable being?

  Gaunilo doubts that we can understand the idea of the greatest conceivable being at all.
• What does Peter van Inwagen explain about Anselm's understanding of God?

  Van Inwagen explains that Anselm would not accept that we either understand God fully or not at all.
• What does Anselm argue about the traits of God?

  God has traits infinitely, such as omnipotence and omniscience.
• What does Apophatic theology suggest about reasoning about God?

  Apophatic theology suggests that reasoning about God is impossible due to God's transcendent unknowability.
• What does Pseudo-Dionysius argue about God's nature?

  Pseudo-Dionysius argues that God is beyond assertion and denial.
• What is Gaunilo's 'lost island' response to Anselm?

  Gaunilo uses the example of a perfect lost island to argue against the validity of Anselm's argument.
• What does Gaunilo claim about the perfect lost island?

  Gaunilo claims that it exists in his understanding but its real existence is uncertain and doubtful.
• What does Anselm argue about the nature of the perfect island?

  Anselm argues that the perfect island is contingent and cannot prove its existence a priori.
• What does Anselm say about the uniqueness of God's existence?

  Anselm highlights that there is something unique about God's existence compared to ordinary beings.
• What does Descartes aim to do with the Ontological Argument?

  Descartes aims to strengthen the Ontological Argument through his rationalist epistemology.
• What does Descartes argue about intuition?

  Descartes argues that intuition provides absolute certainty about truths.
• How does Hume respond to the Ontological Argument?

  Hume rejects a priori demonstrations of existence and the concept of a 'necessary being'.
• What is Hume's fork?

  Hume's fork distinguishes between analytic truths and synthetic truths.
• What does Hume claim about necessary existence?

  Hume claims that the words "necessary existence" have no meaning.
• What is the implication of Kant's objection to the Ontological Argument?

  Kant's objection implies that we cannot conceive of a being's existence as separate from its essence.
• What does Kant argue about existence as a predicate?

  Kant argues that existence is not a property a thing possesses.
• What does Kant's argument suggest about the nature of God?

  Kant's argument suggests that God's existence cannot be proven through definitions alone.
• What does it mean that existence is a contingent matter of fact?

  It means that whether something exists is not logically necessary.