The Ontological Argument Anselm and Descartes

Anselm Wrote in Proslogion (c. 1080) Anselm (1033-1109) was a Benedictine monk and the Archbishop of Canterbury, therefore he started with a theistic (believing) stance. God is “that than which nothing greater can be conceived.” 2 Versions of this…

Imagine… Imagine the best ice cream you can…. What does it have…??!! Now better this ice cream… add something…! Keep imagining it until it can no longer be improved. ASK – which is better, this imaginary ice cream or a REAL one???

Imagine - God An imaginary something is not as ‘great’ as a real something – an imaginary ice cream is not as great as a real one. Anselm said the same for God – even a suggestion there is no God requires a concept of God. Since the greatest thought must have an equivalent in reality, God must exist.

Reading p 20 – 27: Thompson Explain Anselm’s first argument – God is a “being than which none greater can be thought”. Explain how in his second argument, Anselm explained how God MUST exist. What book did Gaunilo write? What did Gaunilo say about Islands? How did Anselm reply?

Reading p 20 – 27: Thompson Where did Descartes write about the Ontological Argument? How does Descartes argument link to a triangle? Where did Kant write his criticism? Explain Kant’s criticism of Descartes. What is an analytical statement? What is a synthetic statement?

Reading p 20 – 27: Thompson What did Kant say Descartes was doing with analytic and synthetic statements? What did Kant mean when he said existence is not a predicate? (YOU REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND KANT AND PREDICATE!!!)

Kant: Existence is not a Predicate The word predicate means quality/ attribute which can be possessed or lacked. Some qualities of God may be: goodness, almightiness, wisdom. Kant maintains that existence is NOT a quality (predicate) – existence needs to be proved. Kant said 100 Thalers (German coin) in my mind does not mean that they exist in my wallet. We need reasons for believing in the existence of God, and not simply a description of what God MIGHT be IF He existed.

Write… A paragraph summarising Anselm’s argument. A paragraph summarising Gaunilo’s criticism. A paragraph summarising Descartes argument. A paragraph summarising Kant’s criticism.

Your own views… What do you think of the Ontological argument? What is good about it? What lets it down?

Criticisms at a Glance: Anselm’s argument attempts to ‘define’ God into existence by claiming that which is the ‘greatest conceivable’ must exist in reality – Gaunilo. Anselm is guilty of making a transitional error from existence in intellectu (in the mind) to existence in re (in reality) – Aquinas. Anselm and Descartes are guilty of using existence as a predicate – Kant. Exists only serves to indicate the instance of something within the spatio-temporal world – Russell. Necessary existence is an incoherent concept – Hume. ‘Exists’ acts differently from other predicates – G E Moore.

Supporters at a Glance: ‘That than which nothing greater can be conceived’ – Anselm Perfection means existence – Descartes God cannot not exist, therefore he must exist – Malcolm God must exist as a being of maximal excellence and greatness in all possible worlds – Plantinga The argument has a useful function within the religious language games – anti-realist expression.

What Next…? Read the section from ONE of the following about The Ontological Argument, and explain to the rest of the class what this scholar adds to the debate: Philosophy and Religious Studies: Diagrams Advanced Religious Studies: Tyler + Reid Phil. Of Religion: A Level: Jordan et al Philosophy of Religion: H J Richards Thinking about Faith: C Stephen Evans Questions about God: P J Clarke The Puzzle of God: Peter Vardy Philosophy of Religion: Peter Cole