What are the key elements of each ontological argument which is shared in all arguments?
- They are deductive arguments
- They’re all based on a priori evidence.
- God must be existent based on his characteristic of ‘existence’.
What is St. Anselm’s ontological argument?
- Proves the ‘God of the philosophers,’
- He unpacks the concept of God.
- He claims that existance is a predicate for God’s definition.
- ‘Bachelor = unmarried man,’
- ’ God = existent,’
- It is greater for him to exist in reality than merely in our minds.
- Therefore, he must be existent, as he is the greatest possible being.
What is a key criticism for Anselm’s ontological argument?
Schopenhauer claims it is a ‘conjouring trick’ as he tries to define God into existence.
He claims it is not something that you can know without empirical evidence.
What is Descartes’ Ontological argument?
- The most standard argument
- Revived as a proof of God in ‘The Meditations,’
- Existence is a perfection, therefore it must apply to God.
- Subjects and predicates are inseperable.
- ‘Mountain’ is inseperable form ‘valley’
- ‘triangle’ = ‘180 degrees internally’
- ‘God = existent.’
- Therefore, God exists is a tautology.
What is the main criticism of Descartes’ ontological argument?
- Kant attacks the idea that Existence is a predicate for God, and claims that conception and reality appear no differently in the mind.
What is Norman Malcom’s ontological argument?
- Revives Anselm’s argument, but adds ammendments.
- He argues for the NECESSARY existence of God.
- He claims that to claim God doesn’t exist is a contradiction.
- A necessary being cannot be limited or dependent.
- A necessary being cannot cease to be.
- He also claims the two steps to the existence of God:
- God is not contingent
- God is necessary, because he is not impossible.
What is Malcom’s quote referring to the necessity of God’s conception?
“God cannot be concieved not to exist, that which can be concieved not to exist is not God,”
What is a Key criticism of Malcom’s argument?
Hick draws a distinction between:
- Logical necessity
- Ontological necessity.
He claims that Malcom becomes confused with the way in which he prove sGod’s necessity.
‘God is not logically possible, therefore he is ontologically necessary,’
