Anselm of Canterbury (11 C)

Anselm of Canterbury (11 C)

Thomas Aquinas

William Ockham

Luther had some background Ockham.

 

Anselm 1033-1109

The Ontological Argument:

Proslogium 1

 

Proslogium 2

·         'We believe that thou art a being than which no greater can be conceived' (Anselm's definition)

·         Ps 14:1 "The fool says in his heart 'There is no G.'"

·         This fool at least understands the words 'a being than which no greater can be conceived.'

·         We can imagine a greater being, not only in the understanding, but one that exists in reality.

 

Proslogium 3

·         If we conceive G not to exist, we can conceive of a still greater G, one that connot be conceived not to exist.

·         For it is greater, better for him to exist than not to exist, and to exist necessarily rather than contingently.

·         So G not only exists, he exists necessarily

 

God has all perfections

Existence is a perfection

Therefore, G exists.

 

Gaunilo's objections (he was a monk)

·         No one can even conceive of G in his mind according to Anselm's definition: "a being than which nothing greater can be conceived."

·         If Anselm's argument were valid, then it would follow that the mere ability to conceive of a perfect island would logically entail the existence of such an island.

 

Anselm's Response

Anselm: 'I think it sufficient that I answer the Catholic'(p. 153)

 

·         If you understand the phrase 'most perfect being' then you already have conceived of such a being.

·         There is nothing in the definition of a island that entails perfection, but the very definition of G entails that he be all-perfect, so it is impossible to conceive of G as lacking a perfection; and since it is obviously more perfect to be than not to be, the bare conception of G entails his existence.

 

Later Objections

Existence is not a perfection

Kant: existence doesn't add anything to our concept of something. 'a hundred real dollars do not contain a penny more than a hundred possible dollars' (Critique of Pure Reason, 282)

 

Response : Even Kant admits that his financial positioln is better with …

 

No "leap" from mind to

 

Values -

Kant - this world is rational. /practical reason

Rationality world / irrationality world

 

 

Anselm - perfection of God