Ontological Argument - 999 Words

Ontological Argument One of the most fascinating arguments for the existence of an all-perfect God is the ontological argument. Ontological arguments are arguments to prove the existence of God based on pure reason alone. They attempt to show that we can deduce God’s existence from, so to speak, the very definition of God. St. Anselm of Canterbury proposed the first and most well known ontological argument in 1078 in his Proslogion, but it was actually Immanuel Kant, an 18th century German philosopher, who first called the argument â€Å"ontological.† In his argument, Anselm defines God as â€Å"that than which nothing greater can be conceived.† This can be interpreted as defining â€Å"God† as maximal perfection, or the greatest possible being. It†¦show more content†¦He thought the ontological argument was flawed. Any argument for the existence of God based on the proposition that a God that exists in reality is greater than a God that exists in the imagination is based on a confusion. According to Kant, the confusion lies in the fact that existence is not a predicate. A predicate is a property that a thing can either possess or lack. When people say that God exists, they are not saying that there is a God and He possesses the property of existence. If they did, they would be saying that there is a God, but he lacks the property of existence, confirming and denying God’s existence at the same time. Kant suggests that to say that something exists is to say that the concept of that thing is demonstrat ed in the world. Existence is then not a matter of a thing possessing a property (existence) but of a concept corresponding to something in the world. For example, if we are given a complete description of an object and then it is added to the description that the object exists, in saying that it exists adds nothing to the idea of the object. The object is the same whether it exists or not. If Kant is correct in his view that existence is not a property of objects, then it is impossible to compare a God that exists to a God that does not. In Kant’s eyes, a God that exists and a God that does not are identical. A God that exists is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, etc. A God that does not exist isShow MoreRelatedThe Ontological Argument By Anselm1524 Words   |  7 Pages I will begin my paper by discussing the two major versions of the ontological argument by Anselm presented in the proslogion. The first being â€Å"Possible and actual existence†, and the second being â€Å"Contingent or Necessary†. One should start off with the first summarized in the standard form as follows: #1 It is a conceptual truth that God is a being than which none greater can be imagined. #2 God exists as an idea in the mind. #3 A being that exists as an idea in the mind and in reality is, otherRead MoreEssay on The Ontological Argument1589 Words   |  7 PagesThe Ontological Argument The Ontological argument is a group of different philosophers arguments for the existence of God. Ontological literally means talking about being and so in this case, that being is the existence or being of God. The main component of the Ontological argument can be found in the Anselm’s Proslogion which is a short work that tries to demonstrate both the existence and the nature of God. His main aim in writing the Proslogion is not to directly prove the existence ofRead MoreOntological Argument Is Not Reliant On An Posteriori933 Words   |  4 Pages Ontological Argument Saint Anselm created the â€Å"Ontological Argument†. Saint Anselm was the archbishop of Canterbury. The premise of Saint Anselm’s Ontological Argument is that, no greater being can be conceived than God. The Ontological Argument is an a priori or deductive argument. An a priori argument does not have to be supported by real or factual evidence just by reason without observation. Thus, the Ontological Argument is not reliant on an a posteriori premise. An a posteriori argumentRead MoreEssay on The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God1545 Words   |  7 PagesThe Ontological Argument for the Existence of God The ontological argument is an a priori argument. The arguments attempt to prove Gods existence from the meaning of the word God. The ontological argument was introduced by Anselm of Canterbury in his book Proslogion. Anselms classical argument was based on two principals and the two most involved in this is St Anselm of Canterbury as previously mentioned and Rene Descartes. The ontological argument argues thatRead MoreEssay about Ontological Argument Critique 857 Words   |  4 Pagesis a much debated philosophical argument that has mystified philosophers since the age of the ‘Enlightenment.’ Many of the different arguments put forth and analysed though, have not adequately proven God’s existence. Although in order to move forward, failed arguments must be studied to ensure that mistakes are not repeated. One such argument is the Ontological Argument. This argument was first recorded by St. Anslem (1033-1109). Descartes adapts this argument in the fifth meditation in ‘MeditationsRead MoreThe Ontological Argument For The Existence Of God1509 Words   |  7 Pages Descartes’ ontological argument is an echo of the original ontological argument for the existence of God as proposed by St. Anselm in the 11th century. To illustrate the background of the ontological argument, Anselm’s argument works within a distinct framework of ontology that posits the existence of God as necessity by virtue of its definition. In other words, for the mind to conceive of an infinite, perfect God, ultimately implies that there must indeed be a perfect God that embodies existenceRead MoreDescartes Ontological Argument Essay1019 Words   |  5 Pagesreligion, one of Descartes’s most famous arguments is his Ontological proof for the existence of God. It is a proof that one can know God a priori, with no experience whatsoever. Cou ntering Descartes, a philosopher named Caterus raised key objections to his proof, which Descartes later responded to in an intriguing way. Descartes’s reply to Caterus’s critique of the Ontological argument does not properly refute the objections made. Descartes’s Ontological argument begins with the idea of that which isRead MoreEssay on Anselm’s Ontological Argument1217 Words   |  5 PagesThe ontological argument for God’s existence is a work of art resulting from philosophical argumentation. An ontological argument for the existence of God is one that attempts the method of a priori proof, which utilizes intuition and reason alone. The term a priori refers to deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is the type of reasoning that proceeds from general principles or premises to derive particular information. The argument works by examining the concept of God, and arguing that it impliesRead MoreDescartes Ontological Argument For The Existence Of God1302 Words   |  6 PagesWord Count: 10/30/2014 Descartes’ Ontological Argument for the Existence of God The Ontological Argument for the existence of God is an a priori argument that aims to demonstrate that God’s real-world existence follows necessarily from the concept of God. In Meditation V of Discourse on Methods and Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes presents his version of the Ontological Argument for the existence of God. In this essay, I will argue that this argument fails because necessary existence forRead MoreAnalysis of Anselms Ontological Argument and the Argument from Evil1448 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis to Anselm’s Ontological Argument and the Argument from Evil The debate of the existence of God had been active since before the first philosopher has pondered the question. Anselm’s Ontological Argument was introduced during the 11th century and had stood deductively valid until the 18th century. Then there are the arguments to aim disprove God, such as the Argument from Evil. The Ontological argument is an a priori deductive argument. That is, an argument relating to being,