Ontological argument critics

Who was the first critic of the ontological argument?

Gaunilo

What was Gaunilo?

A French monk

What argument structure did Gaunilo use to reply to Anselm’s proof?

Reductio ad absurdum

How did Gaunilo apply the ontological argument?

To an island as we can imagine most perfect island but it doesn’t mean it exists in reality and such reasoning is absurd

How did Anselm reply to Gaunilo?

The ontological argument is only applied to God as God is not part of the contingent world

Who criticised the ontological argument in the 18th century?

Immanuel Kant

Who’s version of the ontological argument does Immanuel Kant criticise and what does the argument say?

Descartes - he states God possesses all perfections and that existence as a perfection

What did Immanuel Kant say about the ontological argument?

Existence is not a predicate or defining property as it adds nothing to our understanding - we can’t define something into existence

Who criticised the ontological argument in the 20th century?

Bertrand Russell

What does Bertrand Russell suggest about the ontological argument?

Anselm uses the word ‘exists’ incorrectly as it means an instance of something that appears in reality

What does Bertrand Russell say about description and reality?

Description is intentional and its reality is the extension to intention

How did Brian Davies criticise the ontological argument?

He focuses on the word ‘is’ as it can be used to define something or say something that actually exists and just because we say something is, it doesn’t mean it actually exists