The Ontological Argument
AQA requirements:
1. The basis of Anselm’s argument in thought
2. Anselm’s a priori Ontological Argument
3. Criticisms from Gaunilo and Kant
4. The strengths and weaknesses of Anselm’s argument
5. The status of Anselm’s argument as ‘proof’
6. The value of Anselm’s argument for religious faith
Key Intro Points:
• Most famous for the argument is St Anselm of Canterbury - made Archbishop of Canterbury in
1078.
• Anselm’s personal motto = “credo ut intelligum” I believe that I may understand.
• The arguments was first put forward by Anselm in his book Proslogion/Proslogium.
• He was not trying to prove God’s existence to an atheist but rather reflecting on how his own faith
meant that he could not conceive of God’s not existing.
• Faith seeking understanding.
• The arguments name was not given by Anselm but by Kant in the 18th century.
• Anselm reflects on a psalm from the bible - ‘Fools say in their hearts, there is no God’ Psalm 14:1
• For the fool to say there is no God, the fool has to have an idea in their mind of what God is -
Anselm suggests that the definition in mind is that God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be
conceived.’
1. The basis of Anselm’s argument in thought
• The term ‘ontological’ comes from the Greek ontos, meaning ‘essence,’ ‘existence,’ ‘being.’
• The argument is based on the claim that God’s existence can be deduced from his definition -
that once God is correctly defined, there can be no doubt that he exists.
• The Ontological Argument claims that:
• The proposition ‘God exists’ is a priori/deductive - it can be known to be true with-
out reference to sense experience, just by thinking about God’s nature.
• In the proposition ‘God exists’ the subject ‘God’ contains the predicate ‘exists,’ so
God must exist.
• God’s existence is a necessary truth, not a contingent one.
2. Anselm’s a priori Ontological Argument
• Anselm’s Ontological Argument comes in two parts:
1. To demonstrate God exists.
2. That God is necessary and is thus indeed the type of God in whom Christians
believe.
• A summary of Anselm’s argument:
- God is the greatest conceivable being.
- It is greater to exist in reality than to exist only in the mind.
- Therefore, as the greatest conceivable being, God must exist in reality.
- Therefore, God exists.
• To Anselm existence is a predicate of God - he claims it is part of God’s nature to exist.
• He claims that God’s existence is analytic, rather than synthetic.
• In short, God could not be the greatest conceivable being unless he existed, so he must exist.
Even in saying that ‘God does not exist’ you are saying that ‘God, who must exist, does not ex-
ist.’
3. Criticisms from Gaunilo and Kant
Gaunilo:
• Gaunilo argues that Anselm’s conclusion that God cannot fail to exist is ‘unintelligible’ - it cannot
show that God necessarily exists.
AQA requirements:
1. The basis of Anselm’s argument in thought
2. Anselm’s a priori Ontological Argument
3. Criticisms from Gaunilo and Kant
4. The strengths and weaknesses of Anselm’s argument
5. The status of Anselm’s argument as ‘proof’
6. The value of Anselm’s argument for religious faith
Key Intro Points:
• Most famous for the argument is St Anselm of Canterbury - made Archbishop of Canterbury in
1078.
• Anselm’s personal motto = “credo ut intelligum” I believe that I may understand.
• The arguments was first put forward by Anselm in his book Proslogion/Proslogium.
• He was not trying to prove God’s existence to an atheist but rather reflecting on how his own faith
meant that he could not conceive of God’s not existing.
• Faith seeking understanding.
• The arguments name was not given by Anselm but by Kant in the 18th century.
• Anselm reflects on a psalm from the bible - ‘Fools say in their hearts, there is no God’ Psalm 14:1
• For the fool to say there is no God, the fool has to have an idea in their mind of what God is -
Anselm suggests that the definition in mind is that God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be
conceived.’
1. The basis of Anselm’s argument in thought
• The term ‘ontological’ comes from the Greek ontos, meaning ‘essence,’ ‘existence,’ ‘being.’
• The argument is based on the claim that God’s existence can be deduced from his definition -
that once God is correctly defined, there can be no doubt that he exists.
• The Ontological Argument claims that:
• The proposition ‘God exists’ is a priori/deductive - it can be known to be true with-
out reference to sense experience, just by thinking about God’s nature.
• In the proposition ‘God exists’ the subject ‘God’ contains the predicate ‘exists,’ so
God must exist.
• God’s existence is a necessary truth, not a contingent one.
2. Anselm’s a priori Ontological Argument
• Anselm’s Ontological Argument comes in two parts:
1. To demonstrate God exists.
2. That God is necessary and is thus indeed the type of God in whom Christians
believe.
• A summary of Anselm’s argument:
- God is the greatest conceivable being.
- It is greater to exist in reality than to exist only in the mind.
- Therefore, as the greatest conceivable being, God must exist in reality.
- Therefore, God exists.
• To Anselm existence is a predicate of God - he claims it is part of God’s nature to exist.
• He claims that God’s existence is analytic, rather than synthetic.
• In short, God could not be the greatest conceivable being unless he existed, so he must exist.
Even in saying that ‘God does not exist’ you are saying that ‘God, who must exist, does not ex-
ist.’
3. Criticisms from Gaunilo and Kant
Gaunilo:
• Gaunilo argues that Anselm’s conclusion that God cannot fail to exist is ‘unintelligible’ - it cannot
show that God necessarily exists.
