Ontological Argument Essay - 2922 Words

Most people have not witnessed or experienced God and therefore are confused about its existence. In Western theology, three theories have emerged to demonstrate the existence of God. These theories are the ontological argument, the cosmological argument, and the teleological argument. St. Anselm of eleventh century, and Descartes of seventeenth century, have used the ontological argument for proving the existence of God. The God, for them, is supreme, quot;needing nothing outside himself, but needful for the being and well-being of all things.quot; (Pg. 305). St Anselm’s account of the ontological argument for the existence of God deals with the ‘existence in the understanding’ vs. ‘existence in reality.’ He defines God as the†¦show more content†¦308). Hence, it is just as much of a contradiction to think of God (that is, a supremely perfect being) lacking existence (that is, lacking perfection), as it is to think of a mountain without a valley. His theory is that he can’t think of God without it existing and therefore it exists. Also he gives God all kinds of perfection and because existence is one of the perfection, quot;God necessarily exists.quot; (Pg. 309). Kant’s critique of Anselm’s and Descartes’ arguments state that existence is not a perfection because all perfections are qualities, and existence is not any kind of characteristic, quality, attribute, or property. When we say that something exists, Kant argued, we quot;add nothing toquot; our concept of that thing - we merely say that there is something similar to that concept. It follows that no matter how many characteristics of a thing we list; we will still not have answered the question whether there is something having all those characteristics. quot;Being is evidently not a real predicate, or a concept of something that can be added to the concept of a thing. It is merely the admission of a thing, and of certain determinations in it.quot; (Pg. 311). His argument is that it is all right to say that God has certain characteristics but it is another to say that such a God exists. Many contemporary philosophers agree with Kant’s argument, but many othe rs do not. Furthermore, contemporary logicians have developedShow 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,