Anselm and the ontological argument

Overview

Recall questions on a priori and deductive reasoning, Anselm's definition of God and his two formulations, necessary and contingent existence, Anselm's purpose, Gaunilo's lost island and Anselm's reply, and whether the ontological argument justifies belief or contains fallacies that cannot be overcome.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What makes an argument a priori?

   Model answer

   Its premises can be known without appeal to experience of how the world happens to be. The reasoning proceeds from concepts, definitions and logical relations alone, so no observation could confirm or refute it. Mathematics is the standard example, and the ontological argument is the one argument for God's existence of this kind.

2. 2

   How does Anselm define God at the start of the ontological argument?

   Model answer

   He defines God as that than which nothing greater can be conceived. This is deliberately not a list of attributes but a formula: whatever it would be greater to be, God is. Anselm thinks even someone who denies God's existence must understand this much, since otherwise there would be nothing for the denial to be about.

3. 3

   Set out the argument of Anselm's first formulation.

   Model answer

   Anselm argues that the unbeliever who hears the definition has that than which nothing greater can be conceived in his understanding, whether or not he thinks it exists. But existing in reality as well as in the understanding is greater than existing in the understanding alone. So if this being existed only as an idea, we could conceive of something greater, namely the same being existing in reality. That is a contradiction, because the being was defined as that than which nothing greater can be conceived. Therefore it must exist in reality.

4. 4

   On what assumption about existence does Anselm's first formulation depend?

   Model answer

   It depends on the assumption that a thing which exists in reality is, other things being equal, greater than the same thing existing only as an idea. Anselm treats existence as a perfection, something that adds to greatness. Everything turns on that assumption, and it is precisely what Kant later attacks.

5. 5

   Set out the argument of Anselm's second formulation.

   Model answer

   Anselm argues that we can conceive of a being whose non-existence is impossible, and that such a being is greater than one which merely happens to exist and could have failed to. If that than which nothing greater can be conceived could be thought not to exist, then it would not be that than which nothing greater can be conceived, since a being that could not be thought not to exist would be greater. Therefore God exists so truly that he cannot be conceived not to exist.

6. 6

   What is the difference between Anselm's two formulations?

   Model answer

   The first argues that God must exist, treating existence itself as the perfection at stake. The second argues about the manner of God's existence, claiming that God must exist necessarily, in a way that makes non-existence inconceivable. The first contrasts existing in the mind with existing in reality; the second contrasts contingent with necessary existence. The distinction matters because the standard objections do not bite equally on both.

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