ontological argument

• Ontological Argument


  Argument for the existence of God based on reason and the nature of reality
• Anselm's Ontological Argument


  God is defined as the greatest conceivable being, and existing in reality is greater than existing only in the mind. Therefore, God must exist in reality to truly be the greatest.
• Gaunilo's Island Analogy


  • Gaunilo countered Anselm's argument by proposing that if we follow Anselm's logic, then the greatest conceivable island must exist, which is absurd.
• Existence as a property


  Gaunilo suggested that existence is fundamentally different from other properties and cannot be treated as just another property, challenging Anselm's premise.
• Norman Malcolm's Ontological Argument


  God is either possible, impossible, or necessary. Since God cannot be impossible and a necessary being is greater than a merely possible being, God must be a necessary being existing in all possible worlds.
• Descartes' Argument for the Existence of God

  1. Causal Adequacy Principle: The cause of an idea must possess the same or greater reality as the idea itself.

  2. Innate Idea of God: Descartes claimed he had an innate idea of God as a supremely perfect being.

  3. Causal Chain: The idea of God must have been caused by something with at least as much reality as the idea itself, which can only be God.

  4. God as the Cause: The only possible cause of the idea of a supremely perfect being is God Himself, therefore God must exist.

  5. God as the Non-Deceiver: God, being supremely perfect, would not deceive us, so we can trust clear and distinct ideas derived from reason.
• Existence


  Not a real predicate but rather a second-order predicate, meaning it doesn't add any new information to the subject of a sentence
• Analytic judgments


  Judgments in which the predicate is contained within the subject and are known a priori
• Existence (according to Kant)


  Doesn't change the concept of an object, and therefore, cannot be a predicate
• Existence cannot be treated as a predicate (Kant's view)


  Challenges the idea that existence is a genuine property that can be added to a subject
• Existence (according to Norman Malcolm)


  Can function as a real predicate in some cases, specifically in the context of certain ontological arguments like Anselm's Ontological Argument
• Existence (as a universal concept)


  A general concept that includes everything, not something you can add or remove from objects like other characteristics
• Existence (Alvin Plantinga's view)

  A necessary predicate for the concept of God, as a maximally great being is possible and therefore necessarily exists
• In ordinary language, existence is often treated as a predicate
• Russell's idea of descriptions instead of existence


  When we talk about something existing, we're often just using descriptions, not saying there's a real thing that exists
• Necessary existence


  Something that exists in all possible worlds
• Contingent existence


  Something that exists in some possible worlds but not in others
• Some philosophers argue that existence can be treated as a predicate when discussing contingent existence
• Ontological argument


  • Logically persuasive because it demonstrates the existence of God based on the concept of a perfect being
  • Provides a unique and abstract approach to addressing the question of God's existence, which can be intellectually stimulating and satisfying
• Ontological argument

  • Limited in its applicability as it may not convince those who do not share the same philosophical framework
  • Reduces the epistemic distance between humans and God, which some argue is essential for faith
• Ontological argument


  • Can provide rational support for religious faith and revealed theology
  • Relies on questionable assumptions about the relationship between concepts and reality
• A priori arguments


  Often lead to necessary or a priori conclusions that follow directly from the premises, making them appear more persuasive due to the strict logical structure
• A posteriori arguments


  Grounded in empirical evidence and observations of the natural world, which many find more compelling than purely abstract reasoning
• A priori arguments


  Do not rely on the limitations of sensory perception, making them less susceptible to human error or bias
• A posteriori arguments


  Have broader appeal because they can be accessible to a wider range of individuals, including those without advanced training in philosophy or formal logic
• A posteriori arguments


  Can resonate with individuals on a personal level, as they may find confirmation of their religious or spiritual experiences in the natural world or specific events
• A posteriori arguments


  Draw on principles of scientific and inductive reasoning, which are widely accepted in other areas of knowledge
• A priori arguments


  Are not dependent on specific observations or empirical data, making them universally applicable to all rational beings
• Ontological argument (syllogism)


  1. God is the greatest conceivable being
  2. To exist is better than to not exist
  3. Therefore, God exists to be truly the greatest conceivable being
• Ontological argument (part 2)

  1. God is the greatest possible being
  2. Necessity is better than contingency
  3. Therefore, God exists necessarily
• Kant's objections to the ontological argument: "Existence is not a predicate" and "There's no difference in greatness between in re and in intellectu"
• Other criticisms of the ontological argument: Infinite regress, Cartesian circle, and the disanalogy between God and a perfect island