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The Ontological argument - Anselm - Coggle Diagram
The Ontological argument - Anselm
A priori
relies on logic/pure reason
non-empirical
Deductive
aims to give certain proof
if premises = true, conclusion = true
Analytic statement
Based on logic
True by definition
e.g. bachelor is an unmarried man
Subject and predicate
subject = what the sentence is about
predicate = gives us info about the subject
e.g. cat sat on the mat
subject = the cat
predicate = sat on the mat
Necessary truth
statements which could not possibly be false
Necessary things
things that cannot possibly fail to exist
Anselm's ontological argument
Based on definition of god, so God's existence can be deduced from definition
proposition god exists = a priori + deductive
predicate = exists
subject = god
so God must exist = necessary truth
Argument in 2 parts -
Proslogium 2 + 3
Proslogium 2
god = 'that than which nothing greater can be conceived'
possesses qualities which can extend to the ultimate degree
Anselm showed that even the fool understood the concept of god
difference between having a concept in the mind + reality
if god existed only in mind, there would be a greater conceivable being - aka one that exists in reality
God - cannot exist only in the mind
so god exists in mind + reality
'The Fool says in his heart there is no God' - Psalm 14:1
Guanillo - on behalf of the fool
followed same structure as anselm
subs lost island for god
prefect/lost island = ttwngcbc
greater to exist in reality than only mind
if exists only in mind - a greater island can be conceived
so lost island exist in reality
Proslogium 3 - the Responsio
Anslem pointed to distinction between necessity + cofntingency
necessary being = beings non-existence would be contradictory
contingent being = something which may/may not exist
prefect island = ttwngcbc
greater to be a necessary being than contingent
contingent island = less perfect than one that existed necessarily
BUT - islands = contingent, so cannot exist necessarily
logic of argument does not apply to God - only in God there is necessary existence