ipl-logo

Evaluate Anselm's Ontological Argument For The Existence Of God

453 Words2 Pages

Anselm of Canterbury, a medieval philosopher, believed that there was a natural tie between faith and reason. He thought using our own rational powers could prove our faith. His goal was in finding a rational and logical proof for the existence of God. He sought to provide demonstration of the existence of God through a philosophical argument referred to as the ontological argument for the existence of God. Anselm's approach was based on a priori, which is the use of reason alone to get to a conclusion. Anselm aimed to establish God's existence through analysis and logical deduction rather than empirical evidence.
Anselm's ontological argument was explained in the following:
1. God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, infinite, eternal, and transcendental.
2. God is understood to be a being than which none greater can be conceived.
3. God exists in …show more content…

#5 is a contradiction (Nothing greater than the greatest).
9. Therefore #3 is false, that is, for God to be the greatest conceivable being, He must exist in reality.
In other words, Anselm argued that if one can conceive a being that possesses all perfections, it is greater for that being to exist in reality rather than just in the mind. Therefore, with God being defined as the greatest conceivable being, He must exist in reality to solidify the definition.
Anselm's argument relied on the concept of God being a necessary being, which is a being whose nonexistence is logically impossible. According to Anselm, if God’s nonexistence is a possibility, then He would not be the greatest conceivable being. Therefore, God's existence is necessary for Him to be the greatest conceivable being. Anselm's goal with the ontological argument was to find proof for the existence of God that is grounded on the base of reason and does not rely on any sensory or observable experience or external evidence. He aimed to show that God's existence could be demonstrated through logical analysis and the understanding of the concept of

Show More
Related

Examples Of Figurative Language In Breadland

283 Words | 2 Pages

In Allen's short story "Bread and the Land," the main character Hatch is impatiently waiting to meet his grandmother Blunt. The grandmother paints this picture of her being extremely wealthy. She promises the grandson Hatch expensive gifts that will appease him. Hatch realizes that his grandmother has been dishonest about the amount of money she possesses. Throughout the story, description and figurative language is used to convey the deep-rooted hatred that Hatcher develops for his grandmother Blunt.

Read More

What Phrase Does Anselm Use To Designate God

458 Words | 2 Pages

What phrase does Anselm use to designate God? Explain why he formulates his designation in this way. Do you think this is an appropriate way to speak of God? The Phrase he used was “God is that than which no greater can be conceived”. There are two reasons as to why Anselm words this the way he does, reason one is the idea that “ no greater can be conceived” he doesn’t want you to be able to think about something greater hence the idea that no greater can be thought of by a person.

Read More

Plato's Views On The Allegory Of The Cave

1377 Words | 6 Pages

An obvious similarity between Anselm and Descartes’ methods is that they are both arguing for the existence of God instead of against it. They both come to the conclusion that God must exist based on their logical

Read More

Ontological Argument And Rowe's Analysis

1686 Words | 7 Pages

The eighth premise is that premise four is false. Therefore, it is false that God only exists in the understanding. Anselm then concludes that God has to exist in reality and in the understanding (Rowe,

Read More

Gaunilo's Ontological Argument

924 Words | 4 Pages

Saint Anselm delivered the strongest ontological argument for God through conceptual analysis. The ontological argument is a deductive argument that is an analytical statement that can be constructed by definition(s). He argues that one thing is necessary to exist, and that thing is God. God is a necessary being. His argument is known as reductio ad absurdum, which demonstrates through a contradiction that God exists.

Read More

Epilogue To Treat Anselm By Bram Stoker

1682 Words | 7 Pages

As I reach for the doorknob, Anselm, Aquinas and Kant enter the room. Aquinas : Whatever you are trying to say, Anselm, doesn’t prove His existence. It’s a priori argument. I say that we have to search for a posteriori evidence instead.

Read More

Descartes's Argument On The Existence Of God

753 Words | 4 Pages

The argument for God’s existence is that God is a perfect being, he is infinite, independent, supremely intelligent, and supremely powerful. Descartes goes on to talk about how God exists because he can conceive of him as better than himself (AD 40). God is perfect and perfect at everything, and was the first thing that sent everything into motion (AD 45). God is the ultimate cause.

Read More

How Does Anselm Prove The Existence Of God?

487 Words | 2 Pages

The debate over the existence of God has been a focal point of society for thousands of years. There are two points of emphasis that Anselm believes prove the existence of God or “something-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-thought.” Firstly, he believes that since one can understand the phrase “something-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-thought,” it exists in the mind. He continues by asserting that it is greater to exist in both reality and the mind than it is to exist in the mind alone. He thus deduces that “something-than-which-nothing-greater-can-be-thought” must exist in both the mind and in reality.

Read More

Analysis Of Anselm's Argument For The Existence Of God

205 Words | 1 Pages

Anselm defines God as, “a being than which nothing greater can be conceived”; a being that cannot be surpassed or improved in understanding and existence. He believes that everyone has their own vision of God. Every person performs what they believe to be his will through themselves in their own way. Anselm uses the definition to argue for the existence of God when refers to two different forms of understanding; comprehend an idea of an object and to perceive an object existence.

Read More

Evaluate Anselm's Ontological Argument

539 Words | 3 Pages

Before restating the Anselm’s argument for the existence of God, it is important to understand who Anselm was and what might have compelled him to come up with the ontological argument for the existence of God. Anselm’s background information will be helpful in evaluating the validity and reliability of his arguments. Anselm was born in Italy in c. 1033. In 1063, he entered the famous monastery. In 1093, he moved to England, having been appointed Archbishop of Canterbury.

Read More

Cosmological Vs Ontological Argument

1444 Words | 6 Pages

There have been an innumerable amount of arguments for the existence of God for hundreds of years. Some have become much more popular due to their merit, and their ability to stay relevant through changing times. Two arguments in particular that have been discussed for a very long time are the ontological and cosmological arguments. Each were proposed in the period of the high middle ages by members of the Roman Catholic Church. They each have been used extensively by many since their introduction.

Read More

Criticisms Of Anselm's Ontological Argument

1411 Words | 6 Pages

St. Anselm’s Ontological Argument Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, first proposed the ontological argument about the existence of God. The Archbishop relies on ontology to prove that God indeed does exist. In this way, the archbishop was able to show God’s existence using His definition. Although the ontology was used for such purposes before Anselm, it is thought that he put it in the most comprehensive manner. The basis of the argument is the use of logic, which means that to prove that God exists one needs not apply experience.

Read More

Anselm Vs Descartes Ontological Argument

945 Words | 4 Pages

St. Anselm and Descartes are known for presenting the first ontological arguments on the existence of God. The word ontological is a compound word derived from ‘ont’ which means exists or being and ‘–ology’ which means the study of. Even though Anselm and Descartes’ arguments differ slightly, they both stem from the same reasoning. Unlike the other two arguments on God’s existence (teleological and cosmological), the ontological argument does not seek to use any empirical evidence but rather concentrates on pure reason. The rationale behind this school of thought

Read More

The Role Of God In Ockham's Razor

1149 Words | 5 Pages

“It is possible to think a being “than which nothing greater can be conceived” -i.e. it is the most Perfect. So, if you are actually thinking of “that than which nothing greater can be conceived,” this logically entails thinking of that thing as existing in reality as well as in the mind. This being is what we call “God”” (Leib slide 2).

Read More

St. Anselms Argument For The Existence Of God Essay

1024 Words | 5 Pages

St. Anselm’s argument is based on the superiority of an existent God over a non-existent God. But as Kant argues, existence is more of a description of the real world, whether a thing exists in it or not, rather than the property of an object. Hence

Read More

More about Evaluate Anselm's Ontological Argument For The Existence Of God

Related Topics

Open Document