THEACADEMY.ONLINE IGCSE

1. THE ONTOLOGICAL
ARGUMENT
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD IS LOGICALLY THE ONLY POSSIBLE
EXPLANATION

2. ANSELM (1033 –
1109)

3. ANSELM
• Anselm of Canterbury was a
Benedictine Monk, Philosopher and
Archbishop of Canterbury.
• He devised the ontological argument
for the existence of God.
• Ontology is to do with the nature of
being.
• The argument works from describing
the characteristics of God and
concludes God must therefore exist.

4. THE
ARGUMENT
• (1) God is that than which no
greater can be conceived.(2) If God
is that than which no greater can be
conceived then there is nothing
greater than God that can be
imagined.
• Therefore: (3) There is nothing
greater than God that can be
imagined.(4) If God does not exist
then there is something greater
than God that can be imagined.
• Therefore:(5) God exists.

5. RENE DESCARTES
(1596-1650)

6. THE ARGUMENT
• I have an idea of supremely perfect
being, i.e. a being having all
perfections.
• Necessary existence is a perfection.
• Therefore, a supremely perfect
being exists.

7. CRITICISM – GAUNILO
(CONTEMPORARY OF ANSELM)
• Perfect Island – defining something into
existence.
• I conceive an island than nothing greater can
be conceived…etc.
• We cannot fully conceive God and therefore
the ontological argument cannot work.

8. AQUINAS
•We cannot fully
comprehend God. Only if
one could fully understand
the nature of God could
this argument work.

9. HUME
• Existence is not a quality or a perfection.
• I can conceive something perfect as existing.
• I can also conceive something perfect as not
existing.
• Only if the opposite was impossible could it
be true.