Proslogion (and Commentary)
- Philosophy 1
- Spring, 2002
- G. J. Mattey
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Anselm
- Born 1033
- From Aosta, modern Italy
- Became Archbishop of Canterbury, England
- Applied exact philosophical analysis to theological issues
- Died 1109
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The Fool
- A "fool" denies that God exists
- He also understands the notion of something than which no greater can be thought (the NGT)
- What is understood exists in the understanding
- The NGT, then, exists in the understanding of the atheist
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The Ontological Argument
- Suppose the NGT exists only in the understanding
- We know that what exists outside the understanding is greater than the same thing existing only in the understanding
- So, there is a thought of something greater than the NGT
- But this contradicts the notion of the NGT
- So, the NGT exists outside the understanding
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Another Version of the Argument
- A being that cannot be thought not to exist is greater than a being that can be thought not to exist
- Suppose the NGT can be thought not to exist
- Then the NGT is not the greatest being, a contradiction
- So, the NGT cannot be thought not to exist
- What cannot be thought not to exist exists truly
- So, the NGT exists truly
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Semantics
- The fool actually "thinks" in his heart that there is no God
- But the fool is not thinking what cannot be thought
- This can only mean that he thinks words that purport to signify that there is no God
- The fool does not understand the true signification of 'God,' which is the NGT
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Gaunilo's Reply
- By parity of reasoning, it could be shown that a certain most abundant island exists
- A "Lost Island" greater (more abundant) than any other island exists in our understanding
- What is real is greater than what exists in the understanding
- So, if the Lost Island does not exist, a real island is greater than it
- But this contradicts the understanding of the Lost Island
- Therefore, the Lost Island exists
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Anselm's Rebuttal
- The argument applies only to the NGT
- The NTG is a being than which no greater being can be conceived
- The Lost Island can be thought as not existing, since it is in place and time
- If an object can be thought as not existing, then a greater being can be conceived--one that cannot be thought of as not existing
- So the Lost Island cannot fulfill the role in the argument of the NGT
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The Properties of God
- The greatest thinkable being
- Exists through itself alone
- Made all other things from nothing
- Is the highest good, which implies
- Each of these is better than its opposite
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God's Perception
- It is better to be percipient than not
- How can God perceive without a body?
- To perceive is just to know
- So if God knows something, God can be said to perceive it
- God knows everything (as the greatest thinkable being), and so perceives all
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God's Omnipotence
- The greatest thinkable being cannot do anything bad or make the true be false
- This is not a limitation on power
- One is able to do these things only to the extent that something has power over him
- When we say "power" in this context, we mean "weakness"
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God's Justice
- God is merciful by helping people, though not by feeling compassionate
- God can spare the unjust because to do so increases goodness
- God's mercy toward the unjust is itself just (due to Gods goodness)
- And so is Gods punishment of the unjust (due to the demerit of their acts)
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God's Eternality and Omnipresence
- God, as the greatest possible being, is bound by nothing
- God thus does not begin to exist or cease to exist (i.e., is eternal)
- God is wholly in all places at the same time (i.e., omnipresent)
- Created beings come to be and pass away, and can be wholly in only one place at once
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God is not in Place or Time
- God is a unitary being, having no parts
- If God is in place and time, then part of God would be at the different locations
- So God stands outside of place and time
- All things, instead, exist in God
- Eternal things fall short of God
- They depend on God to exist
- They are not wholly in all of eternity
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