Edexcel A-level Religious Studies -
Ontological Argument SCHOLARS June
2024 Exam Review Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
What does the ontological argument claim is an attribute of god? -
Answer>> the Ontological argument claims that 'existence' is an
attribute or quality of God. It forms part of the definition of God
What type of argument is the ontological argument? - Answer>>
Deductive and A Priori
What is ontology? - Answer>> the study of the existence of
being
ANSELM - what are the premises of Anselm's ontological
argument? - Answer>> 1. I can imagine a greatest possible
being ("a being than which nothing greater can be conceived")
2. God exists at least in the mind or understanding (even atheists
can define God even if they don't believe in him)
3. A being who exists only in the mind is not as great as a being
who exists in reality as well as the mind.
4. If God existed only in the mind, he would not be the greatest
possible being.
5. Therefore God must exist in reality as well as in the mind.
ANSELM - what book did he write his argument in? - Answer>>
Anselm set out his argument in his book Proslogian.
ANSELM - what is the first form of his argument? - Answer>> -
God is 'that which nothing greater can be
thought.'
- God = the highest sum of all
perfections, where absolutely nothing could
, surpass God in any way.
ANSELM - why must god exist in reality? - Answer>> God must
exist in reality - because a God who just exists in our heads, as
something we imagined to be great but did not actually exist,
would be inferior to a real God - and we have just agreed that
God cannot be inferior to anything in any way
What is the painter analogy? - Answer>> If a painter
preconceives an idea for a work of art, the finished product will
always be superior to the idea of it alone
ANSELM - what is the second form of his argument? -
Answer>> - it was impossible for God not to exist.
- Contingent beings are inferior to beings with
necessary existence
-God must exist, because a necessary being
cannot fail to exist
- Necessary existence is, in Anselm's view, part of
the whole definition of God.
What is the analytic proposition? - Answer>> - one which is true
by definition.
- Anselm was claiming that the statement 'God
exists' is analytic - the concept of God includes
the concept of existence.
What is the synthetic proposition? - Answer>> Synthetic
Proposition: beyond the definition of the word. We need more
than just deduction to know whether it is true - we also need
experience.
ANSELM - what kind of statement is the statement that god
exists? - Answer>> Anselm argues that 'God exists' is an
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