¶ … Classical Ontological Argument: Anselm
The Christian philosopher Anselm's argument for the existence of God, often called the classical ontological argument, is that given that God is defined as a being that by definition is the greatest thing imaginable ("which nothing greater can be conceived") therefore God must exist since to conceive of a being greater than God is impossible; if someone conceived of something greater than that being would be God (Anselm 292). If it is impossible that God cannot be "conceived not to exist" and if a mind could conceive something to exist greater than the Creator, that mind would "rise above the Creator," which Anselm regards as "absurd" and therefore only a "fool" says that God does not exist (Anselm 292).
However, this argument seems to be tautological by defining God as a being greater than anything that can be conceived and therefore purporting the existence of God simply because the concept of something greater exists in the human mind. Also, simply because someone can conceive something greater than him or herself does not necessarily mean it exists. What if someone thought that a unicorn was God? Anselm would respond that this was merely an incorrect idea of God, presumably, but this highlights the flexibility of the human imagination. Furthermore, many atheists deny the existence of a greater being altogether and some religious...
Does the fact that some minds cannot conceive of God, or cannot conceive of a God greater than all things mean that God is different for every person? Anselm simply regards such persons in error, but this variation of opinion highlights the challenge of using mental phenomenon as proof of God's existence.
Even during the medieval era amongst devout believers there were objectors to Anselm's argument. Gaunilo, a monk, stated that Anselm's rationale could be used to justify impossible or mythical things: he could conceive of an island more perfect than all other islands -- so perfect that no other, greater islands could exist -- but that would not make the island come into being (Gaunilo 298). Although the nonexistence of God may be "unintelligible," Gaunilo notes, that does not make it "inconceivable" (Gaunilo 299). Unreal objects are conceivable, they are simple unintelligible.
Gaunilo accepted Anselm's postulate about the need for a proof of God's existence, versus accepting existence upon faith alone. However, later, Protestant philosophers such as Kant have probed even more deeply into Anselm's assumptions. Kant has argued that assuming existence is a property which can be attributed to the character of an object is invalid. Effectively, Anselm attributes the attribute of existence to…
Anselm's Ontological Argument Anselm (1033-1109), philosopher, theologian and church leader, has presented an argument for the existence of God that has been debated by philosophers and academicians for centuries. Anselm presented this argument in the second chapter of his book Proslogium (Discourse) written in 1078, and it became known as the 'ontological argument' much later, in the 18th century. From the beginning, Anselm's argument has met with criticism, appreciation and interest.
God Exist? The Case for God's Existence Anselm Thomas Aquinas Other Arguments The Case Against the Existence of God My Assessment Many people go to churches, mosques, and synagogs each week to worship God and to pray. But does God hear those prayers? Does he exist? The debate over God's existence has gone on for centuries and is alive and well in our time. Philosophers, theologians, scientists, and ordinary people have weighed in on the argument.
Therefore, it becomes evident that Commander of these laws is definitely more powerful and more authoritative than the command itself. Moreover, moral commands are such that they have a link with the ultimate authority and these laws have to be obeyed anywhere and everywhere irrespective of what the circumstances are. The authority of these moral rules is superior to all the rules, regulations and authority of the human beings.
In most religious texts, "God is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and all-good (righteous, loving, benevolent)" (Wolf 2011). According to this view, apart from being the source of all that is good, God has the ability to know and do everything -- including stamping out all evil. However, there still exists so much suffering and evil in the world. Calamities of every nature do occur occasionally leading to death, displacement
If something happens, then it is a belief that somebody caused that thing to happen the way it did, and it is an effect of some kind of action. If then several actions take place one after the other, then the earlier/older happening caused the later event thus, "the first cause is the cause of all things and itself had no cause since it always existed." (Trigilio, and Brighenti
Existence of God The philosophical questions I will try to answer and why they are of particular interest to me. Opinions that ordinary people tend to have on the issue The great monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam profoundly influenced Western philosophy. In all of these religions, the existence of God is a central claim. For nearly a millennium from 500 S.D to about 1500 A.D., Western philosophy was the handmaiden