The s Ontological Proof For The Existence Of God Essay

In his Proslogion, written in 1077-1078, St. Anselm of Canterbury, introduced the first formulation of his ontological proof for the existence of God. In an effort to gain a deeper knowledge and acquaintance with his creator, Anselm set out to logically deduce God’s existence from the very definition of God. In the Proslogion he writes, â€Å"God is that which a greater cannot be thought. Whoever understands this properly, understands that this being exists in such a way that he cannot, even in thought, fail to exist† (Anselm, 101). Anselm uses this definition as the fundamental argument for his proof of God’s existence. He argues that if the â€Å"fool† or disbeliever denies the existence of God, he is still capable of understanding the definition of God, thereby God exists in his mind as a mental image but not necessarily in reality. However, since the very definition of God is â€Å"that which a greater cannot be thought† and surely what exists both mentally and in reality must be greater than what exists only mentally, then God’s existence in the fool’s thoughts must inevitably imply his existence in reality, as well. If that’s not true, than the thought the fool has cannot be of God, since if that thought only exists mentally then there must be something greater than it is and that goes against Anselm’s definition. Ultimately, according to Anselm’s definition, it would be self-contradictory to deny the existence of such a being. About two centuries after the writing ofShow MoreRelatedAugustine s Ontological Proof For The Existence Of God1456 Words   |  6 PagesAugustine’s Ideo-Ontological proof for the existence of god. However, as with most things of a philosophical nature, there is no simple right or wrong, A or B reading of the Ideo-Ontological proof. 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Many great philosophers were concerned with this basic and yet so important question which remains to be a controversial issue to this day! In the following I will commit myself to the above-mentioned question by firstly reconstructing Anselm ´s proof of God ´s existenc e and secondly considering his position in the light of the critiqueRead MoreOntological Argument For The Existence Of God1083 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout this paper I will discuss the argument of Anselms ontological argument for the existence of god. His basis of his argument being an analytical breakdown for the reason fot gods exsistence. While also establishing that Anselms inferences found with his use of deduction and logical means to prove the existence of a higher being are indeed true. In addition I will defend Anselms argument by depicting other people’s objections against his argument. 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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 implies