Philosophy of Religion: Ontological argument

What is the Ontological argument as a broad definition?

Using logic and reason to ‘define’ God into existing, only a priori.

Outline Anslem’s argument

• God is the greatest being to exist

• It is greater to exist in reality than the mind alone

• God exists in the mind

• Therefore God exists in reality

Who revived Anselm’s argument and when?

Malcolm and Hartshorne in the 20th century.

Outline Gaunilo’s criticism of Anselm

By his logic:
- Oh look here’s a perfect island with perfect number of trees etc, no greater islands exist!!!
- Oh well it is better to exist in reality than in the mind
- It now exists.

Outline Plantinga

God is a being with maximum greatness. He either exists in no worlds or all. If he exists in 1 possible world he can exist in all of them. He can possibly exist therefore exists in every world.

Outline Descartes’ ontological argument

I have the idea of God as a supremely perfect being. A supremely perfect being does not lack any perfection. Existence is a perfection, therefore, God exists

What is a criticism of Gaunilo’s Island analogy?

You cannot prove existence of a contingent being through a priori reasoning alone as their existence does not depend on definition. Ergo, the Island analogy is not a valid comparison.

Outline Hume’s Fork

2 types of fact: analytic truths and synthetic truths

Malcolm’s Ontological argument

God's existence is either necessary or impossible. Since God's existence is not impossible, God's existence is necessary

Explain analytic truths

Cannot be denied without contradictions, true because of their definition. For example there is no such thing as a married bachelor. A priori.

Explain synthetic truths

True because that is how the world is. A posteriori. Can be denied without inherent contradiction. For example, “the sun will rise tomorrow”.

What is a necessary being?

A being not reliant on other things for existence, and it must exist or nothing else can, i.e., God.

What is a contingent being?

A being reliant on other things for its existence, i.e., humans.

What does Hume argue about necessary beings?

They don’t exist, as we can imagine anything not existing easily.

Outline Kant’s argument

Argued existence isn’t a predicate, i.e., you cannot ‘possess’ existence and as such it is possible to imagine a being not existing, as Hume said.

Give a counter to Kant

Fails to address Descartes’ argument of perfection

How does Malcolm criticise Kant?

Claims he only proves existence as a predicate for contingent beings as the reason for their existence is external.

Outline Hick’s criticism of the Ontological argument

Says it fails to distinguish between logical necessity and ontological necessity.

Define ontological necessity

Beings containing their own reason for existence.

Define logical necessity

Refers to prepositions that cannot be false.

Outline Hartshorne

Critiqued the ontological argument through 2 things:

• Empiricism, or arguing existence can’t be logically necessary.

• Argue the God of classical theism is a logical impossibility.

Give 2 ways in which Hartshorne’s second method of critique can be used?

• Paradox of the stone

• Euthyphro dilemma