The Ontological Argument On The Existence Of God - 1608 Words

The ontological argument is one of the most prominent arguments with in philosophy. Ontological comes from the Greek word â€Å"ontos† meaning â€Å"being† or â€Å"what there is†. Ontology credits the existence of God to overall essence of God. The ontology argument questions the nature of being which includes questioning the existence of God. As made apparent in â€Å"Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings† many philosophers have different views and theories on the existence of God. Anslem and Aquinas provide arguments that support the existence of God but still offer some differences. Anslem, a Catholic saint, believes that it would be a contradiction to deny the existence of God. He states â€Å"by God we mean something that than which nothing greater can be conceived† (Perry 43). Anslem discusses the measure of existence in mind and reality and explains that if it exists in one it must exist in the other (Neal). Anslem is essentially saying that if God exist in our minds and we are unable to conceive anything greater than God, God must also exit in reality. Anslem quotes Ps. 14: 1 which states, â€Å"the fool has said in his heart that there is no God†( Perry 45). This for Anslem proves that even though the fool denies the existence of God the idea of God is still apparent. Even the people who deny God’s existence are unable to think of anything that his greater then God. So if people like the fool who don’t believe are unable to conceive a being greater then God then GodShow MoreRelatedThe Existence Of God : Ontological Argument Es say1696 Words   |  7 PagesThe question of the existence of God has troubled mankind for thousands of years. Many philosophers and theologians have always searched for prove whether God exists. Many of them constructed valid arguments which support theist believes. The existence of God was once never denied, as His presence, His existence was evident in miracles and the people s faith. But time and the advancement of modern science have called God and His very nature into question. The Perfect Being has become the sourceRead MoreThe Ontological Argument For The Existence Of God1509 Words   |  7 PagesDescartes’ ontological argument is an echo of the original ontological argument for the existence of God as proposed by St. Anselm in the 11th century. To illustrate the background of the ontological argument, Anselm’s argument works within a distinct framework of ontology that posits the existence of God as necessity by virtue of its definition. In other words, for the mind to conceive of an infinite, perfect God, ultimately implies that there must indeed be a perfect God that embodies existence, forRead MoreOntological Argument For The Existence Of God1083 Words   |  5 Pagesthis paper I will discuss the argument of Anselms ontological argument for the existence of god. His basis of his argument being an analytical breakdown for the reason fot gods exsistence. While also establishing that Anselms inferences found with his use of deduction and logical means to prove the existence of a higher being are indeed true. In addition I will defend Anselms argument by depicting other people’s objections against his argument. Specifically the argument made by Gaunilo, who disagreedRead MoreAn Ontological Argument For The Existence Of God1430 Words   |  6 PagesNatural Religion (1779), Hume has the character of Demea present an Ontological Argument for the existence of God. Demea attempts to argue that God’s existence can be proven wh olly a priori and logically, rather than through the a posteriori design argument. A priori arguments say that if the reasoning is valid then the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises, which Demea argues is the case when it comes to the existence of god. The following essay will discuss Demea s standing, Cleanthes’Read MoreEssay on The Ontological Argument for the Existence of God1545 Words   |  7 PagesThe Ontological Argument for the Existence of God The ontological argument is an a priori argument. The arguments attempt to prove Gods existence from the meaning of the word God. The ontological argument was introduced by Anselm of Canterbury in his book Proslogion. Anselms classical argument was based on two principals and the two most involved in this is St Anselm of Canterbury as previously mentioned and Rene Descartes. The ontological argument argues thatRead MoreOntological Arguments for the Existence of God Essay1603 Words   |  7 Pagespresents his second argument for the existence of God. Descartes holds that existence is perfection and so, it can be a predicate for God. I will first explain what is the ontological argument for the existence of God. Next, I will discuss why Descartes decides to bring God into His method of philosophy. I will then try to argue that existence is a perfection and that as a predicate for God, existence reveal certain true about God. Ontological argument tries to prove the existence of God from a prioriRead MoreDescartes Ontological Argument For The Existence Of God1302 Words   |  6 Pages10/30/2014 Descartes’ Ontological Argument for the Existence of God The Ontological Argument for the existence of God is an a priori argument that aims to demonstrate that God’s real-world existence follows necessarily from the concept of God. In Meditation V of Discourse on Methods and Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes presents his version of the Ontological Argument for the existence of God. In this essay, I will argue that this argument fails because necessary existence for a concept doesRead MoreAnselm s Ontological Argument On The Existence Of God935 Words   |  4 PagesAnselm’s Ontological argument sets out to not only prove God’s existence, but to show that God’s existence is self-evident. Similar to other ontological arguments, it uses a priori knowledge to argue its validity, meaning that the propositions made are derived from internal reasoning instead of sense experience. The argument begins with Anselm defining the term God as â€Å"that, than which nothing greater can be conceived† (pg.26). Although simple, once this term is accepted Anselm believes he has successfullyRead MoreThe Major Features of the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God1021 Words   |  5 Pagesof the Ontological Argument for the Existence of God The ontological argument for the existence of God was originally set out in eleventh century by St. Anselm in his Proslogian. Anselm was a Benedictine monk, Archbishop of Canterbury, and one of the great medieval theologians. It has received a lot of both support and criticism from leaning philosophers. The argument is appeals to those who already believe in the existence of God than to an atheist. The argument is entirelyRead MoreValidity And Effectiveness Of Anselm s Ontological Argument On The Existence Of God1095 Words   |  5 PagesAnselm s Ontological Argument on the existence of God. I will begin by presenting Anselm’s Ontological Argument from the ground up. This includes the argument, basic idea, initial assumptions, Anselm’s definition of god, and Anselm s distinctions which are needed to completely understand the nature of my argument. Furthermore, I will present concepts of logic and define what makes an argument valid, and circular argument because they are necessary for understanding the validity of this argument. Following