Ontological Arguments The Ontological Argument - 1453 Words

The nature of this question is pointing towards ontological arguments, these arguments claim that understanding God’s definition to be true can prove His existence. The proof used is a priori and this means that the propositions do no not require sense experience to be understood as true. The name ontological is taken from two Greek words, ‘ontos’ (being) and ‘logos’ (study of) which shows that the argument is concerned with the nature of God, and it is from His nature that His existence is argued for. In Proslogian, Anselm put forward his version of an ontological argument and his argument looks at having a definition for God that any person can believe, both the fool and the believer. I am going to argue against his argument as looking†¦show more content†¦This then means that God exists even in the mind of the atheist. The fool can accept the definition that God is the greatest being that can be conceived, she understands what she hears, a nd what she understands is obviously previously in her understanding, but she cannot understand it to exist. (Iep.utm.edu, 2015) Gaunilo rejects Anselm’s argument (On behalf of the fool, 1078) by using his own example of the Piland. His premises and conclusion are as followed: P1) A piland is an island which nothing greater can be conceived (thought of) P2) In my mind, a piland exists. P3) By definition, a piland that exists in my mind alone is not as great as one that exists in reality as well. P4) If my piland only exists in my mind that I can conceive a greater one, one that exists within reality too. C) Therefore, a piland exists in both mind and reality. This demonstrates that Anselm’s reasoning may be faulty and by using only a definition may not be enough proof to say that ‘God’ actually exists. However, the existence of the piland may be flawed in the ways that we can always conceive a better island. It seems to me that the sorts of ways in which an island is great are not the same conceptually as what makes God maximally perfect. For example, if one thinks that a