Answers the A01 question:
Explain the ontological argument with reference to Anselm and Descartes. AO1 (20 marks) ( 19 marks scored)
and A02 question:
'The ontological argument is more persuasive than the cosmological and teleological
arguments for God's existence' Evaluate this view (27 m...
A. The Ontological argument is a deductive proof which attempts to prove the existence of
God. First postulated by Philosopher and Monk Anselm in his Proslogian (1078)was written
in prayerform. Anselm alreadyfirmly believed in the existence of God and wanted to justify
God's existence through reason alone, and consequentially came up with the Ontological
argument, although the name of the argument with 'Onto' meaning to believe was later
coined by Kant in the 18th century.
Anselm's first mention of the Ontological argument is in Proslogian 2 which he first
establishes a widely agreed upon definition of God (ln classical Theism); 'A being that which
no greater can be conceived' which establishes the first analytical statement and priori .-
premise Anselm puts forward. This in deductive proof paired with a logical conclusion
creates an inescapable conclusion where if you agree with the premise you are forced to
agree with the conclusion. Anselm then states that if God is the 'greatest' and 'no greater
can be conceived' God must posses every quality to its highest and greatest degree. From
this Anselm leaps to the conclusion that God must exist, and this is because he uses the idea
that existence (as a quality) is greater than not existing (again as a quality) God must exist as
-) it is the greater of the two qualities. He further explains this with his painter analogy where
he explains that a painting in a painters mind (ln intellectu) is inferior to a painting in a
painters mind and in reality (ln Re) as everyone can now witness and apricate his painting
when in reality, which is used to prove that existence is better than non-existence. Anselm
with this firmly establishes that God has to exist by detention ('A being that which no greater
can be conceived') as existing is the greatest. Anselm\hen in Proslogian 3 then goes on to
explain that God, yes, exists but God must also be a necessary'being, by definition following
the same logic: Contingent existence is inferior to that of Necessary existence, God will
always be the greatest of qualities therefore God must be a Necessary being. As if God is
contingent, something created God or God relies upon something else for its existence
which implies something is greater than God which cannot be true as it contradicts the
definition established by Anselm- Proof by contradiction. Anselm then finally to close off his
argument and further solidify its credibility then writes 'Only the Fool said God does not
existinhisheart'IPsalm53]whichhesaysthatifyouweretodenythe existenceofGod
(after accepting the defintion) you would be foolish- illogical. This is Anselm using Reductio
-) ad Absurdum, reducing the opposition's (Atheists) argument to be absurd and illogical as
which undermines and shuts down any attempt to deny the conclusion. ln a deductive
argument, if the priori premise is true and agreed upon, and the conclusion is logically sound
the argument is airtight and has no exceptions there is no arguing against iU its in escapable,
which is what Anselm was trying to point out when writing this.
Later on a French Rationalist Philosopher known as Rene Descartes comes back to the
ontological argument, more specifically Prosloigan 2 and further expands upon Anselm's
original postulation, again seeking to prove God through reason alone while denying any
external senses and empirical evidence. From this the famous saying "l think therefore I am"
was inspired as Descartes realised that the very notion of questioning his existence proved
his existence. Descartes came up with his own definition of God: 'A supremely perfect being'
which was a positive definition, different to that of Anselm. And reiterates that if God is
'supremely perfect' God must possess all predicates in their most perfect form, and again
reaches the idea that God must exist based on the fact that existence is a superior predicate
to not existing, therefore God must exist possessing all predicates to their greatest form
must include existence. Alternatively though Descartes uses a different more modern
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