1
Q
x
Ontological
A
To do with the nature of existence
2
Q
Who invented the phrase Ontological Argument
A
Immanuel Kant
3
Q
Contingent
A
Depending on other things
4
Q
Necessary Existence
A
Existence which doesn’t depend on anything else
5
Q
Predicate
A
a term which describes a distinctive characteristic of something
6
Q
Epistemic Distance
A
Distance in Knowledge and understanding
7
Q
Logical Fallacy
A
Reasoning that has a flaw in its structure
8
Q
What kind of argument is the Ontological Argument
A
- A priori- relies on reason alone
- Deductive: if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true
9
Q
What perspective was Anselm writing his ontological argument for
A
- “Faith seeking understanding” rather than an attempt to convert unbelievers
10
Q
Anselm’s key text
A
Proslogion 2 and 3
11
Q
Anselm quote about his intentions with this argument
A
“ l believe in order to understand”
12
Q
What does Anselm say in Proslogion 2 (4)
A
- Defines God as “that than which nothing greater can be conceived.
- Even the ‘fool’ (Psalm 14) who denies God at least has a concept of God present in the mind
- Once we have a concept of God in the mind, we ask does God exist merely in the understanding or in reality too
- Greatest concievable being cannot exist in mind only, must exist in reality as well
13
Q
What does Anselm say in Proslogion 3 (3)
A
- God’s existence is necessary- he’s a being who cannot NOT exist
- Has to have always been in existence- if not, would have to be another greater concievable being
- Everything but God exists contingently (might not exist) but only God exists necessarily
14
Q
Guanilo’s Text
A
In behalf of the fool
15
Q
Guanilo’s criticism
A
- Makes a parody
- Concept of greatest concievable island- does it exist in the mind only or in reality as well
- Anselm’s logic dictates this island too exists
16
Q
Guanilo’s conclusion
A
- According to Guanilo, Anselm’s logic is too absurd because it demands that the island must too exist.
- If the existence of God can be proved in the way Anselm suggests, then the existence of anything can be proved
17
Q
Anselm’s first
counter-crit to Guanilo
A
- Islands can only exist contingently- their non-existence is always a possibility
- To speak of an island that cannot not exist is nonsense- only greatest concievable being could exist necessarily
18
Q
Anselm’s second counter-crit to Guanilo
A
- Islands can never possess maximal properties- no quality it has could ever be possessed to maximum degree (tasty fruit but could always have more, scenery could be nicer)
- God is fundamentally diff bc the properties he is supposed to possess are maximal properties
19
Q
Aquinas’ criticism of Anselm
A
- We don’t have an agreed definition of God
- If we understood God’s nature we would know God’s nature has to include existence (God exists is analytic) but since we don’t we have to treat it as synthetic
20
Q
Descartes’ text
A
Meditations
21
Q
Descartes’ revised Ontological Argument
A
- Defines God as a supremely perfect being
- By definition, God must exist
- Existence is a perfection- a thing that didn’t exist would by definition not be perfect
22
Q
Analogy used by Descartes in his argument
A
- Triangle: angle = two right angles
- Can’t be separated from the essence of a triangle
- In the same way, existence can’t be separated from God
23
Q
What is Kant’s first criticism of the Ontological Argument
A
- ‘God does not exist’ is not a self-contradictory statement
- It is a statement that could be true or false
- If the object is held not to exist in first place, it has no essence to be contradicted
- This goes better with criticising Descartes
24
Q
What is Kant’s second criticism of the Ontological Argument
A
- “existence is not a predicate”
- The fact he exists adds no real information about him
- Ontological arguments say that existence is one of God’s qualities but it’s not really a quality at all
25
Brian Davies Counter-Crit to Kant
- Anselm isn't trying to say that we can move directly from an idea of God to knowledge of his existence
- Anselm's focus is upon the claim that GCB cannot merely exist in mind- diff from saying God's non-existence is self-contradictory
26
Counter-crit for Kant's second crit
- Existence is a meaningful predicate when applied to an object which can be concieved of as existing/not existing
- Anselm's argument is about the real existence of God which exists in the intellect
27
What are the 4 steps of Norman Malcom's Ontological Argument
- God may exist or may not
- If God does not exist, he never will and never has
- It thus follows that God's existence is either necessary or it is impossible
- God as an impossible being is self-contradictory and absurd- THEREFORE GOD EXISTS
28
What is Malcom's distinction between types of necessity
- Logical Necessity: Illogical to suggest that something isn't the case
- Factual Necessity: Probably wrong to suggest that something isn't the case
29
2 Strengths of Malcom's argument
- Uses scientific hypothesis
- Escapes Kant's criticism by arguing necessary existence (not all existence) is a predicate
30
2 weaknesses of Malcom
- If you already believe in God, this proves he exists but nothing more
- Relies on God's existence being necessary: all he does is show that if God exists, he exists necessarily, not that God actually does exist
31
Alvin Plantinga's text
God, Freedom and Evil
32
Plantinga's Ontological Argument (4)
- There's a possible world where a maximally great + excellent being must exist necessarily
- If it exists in one possible world, it must exist in all possible worlds
- Our world is a possible world so the maximally great + excellent being must exist in our world
- Therefore God exists
33
How does Plantinga criticises Kants' ideas
- How is his idea of 'existence not being a predicate of perfection' relevant?
- Kant would be right if Anselm was trying to define God into existence by adding existence as a predicate, but that's not what he was doing!
34
Strength of Plantinga's argument
- Uses scientific hypothesis
35
Logical Weakness of Plantinga
Can conceive of a possible world in which God doesn't exist
