malcolm's OA

• Philosopher: Norman Malcolm, a mid-20th-century philosopher, proposed an ontological argument in his work.

• Rooted in Anselm's Argument:

  • Malcolm's argument is inspired by Anselm's ontological argument but offers a different formulation.

• Perfect Being:

  • Malcolm defines God as a perfect being, encompassing all perfections.

• Logical Structure:

  • The core of Malcolm's argument revolves around conceiving a being with all perfections, including existence.

• Necessary Existence:

  • Malcolm contends that if a perfect being exists in the understanding (conceptually), it must also exist in reality.

• Existence as a Predicate:

  • In contrast to Kant's view, Malcolm suggests that existence is a predicate and is part of the concept of a perfect being.

• Modal Logic:

  • Malcolm employs modal logic to argue for the necessary existence of God, emphasising that it is logically necessary for a perfect being to exist.

• Response to Criticisms:

  • Malcolm engages with objections to ontological arguments, addressing concerns raised by philosophers such as Gaunilo and Kant.

• Influence:

  • Malcolm's ontological argument has been part of the broader philosophical discussion on the nature of God's existence and the validity of ontological reasoning.

steps:

1. if God does not exist today, then He never can and never will - His existence must be impossible, because a being with the greatness of God is uncaused and has no beginning

2. if God does not exist, the He must exist necessarily, rather than contingently, depending on something else

3. God’s existence is therefore either impossible or necessary, there are no other options

4. God’s existence is not impossible. it is not logically contradictory to have the concept of a God who exists - it is an idea that we can entertain without any logical absurdity

5. therefore, given that God’s existence is not impossible, it must be necessary, as that is the only other option - so God exists necessarily