Strengths of ontological argument. 5 Cosmological Argument Strengths and Weaknesses 2019-01-05

Descartes' Ontological Argument (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

How can this be so? Thus, existence does not add anything to the concept of a thing. These two doctrines inoculate Descartes from the charge made against Anselm, for example, that the ontological argument attempts to define God into existence by arbitrarily building existence into the concept of a supremely perfect being. This is especially true of objection that the ontological argument begs the question. But we cannot imagine something that is greater than Ω for it is a contradiction to suppose that we can imagine a being greater than the greatest possible being that can be imagined. But as regards God, if I were not overwhelmed by philosophical prejudices, and if the images of things perceived by the senses did not besiege my thought on every side, I would certainly acknowledge him sooner and more easily than anything else. The focus of the debate will then be shifted to the question of who has the correct ontology, rather than whether the ontological argument is sound. Second, when responding to objections to the ontological argument such as the ones considered above, Descartes typically does more than insist dogmatically on a unique set of clear and distinct ideas.

evaluate anselm’s ontological argument for the existence of god.

His work was based on 4 premises which led to the conclusion that God must exist. This definition is understood by believers and non-believers. Can you remember what Plato called the essence, or paradigm, of things that actually exist in the world? Chesterton: So one elephant having a trunk was odd; but all elephants having trunks looked like a plot. If we think of God as being perfect—and perfection, remember, is part of the concept of God—then we must therefore think of God as a being that cannot be imagined to be better than he is. New York: Cambridge University Press, 385—410. The important point is that both kinds of meditators ultimately attain knowledge of God's by clearly and distinctly perceiving that necessary existence is contained in the idea of supremely perfect being.

The Ontological Argument

There are a number of , which many, though not all, accept as decisive. You assume that god has a need to prove to you that he exists. By this logic, you could also claim that you agree that if God did indeed exist, he would necessarily exist but that you do not believe in God or his necessity without contradicting yourself. God's existence is inferred directly from the fact that necessary existence is contained in the clear and distinct idea of a supremely perfect being. It consists in unveiling the contents of our clear and distinct ideas. Firstly, Anselm pointed out the fact the example of the Island or any other examples for that matter do not work because it, unlike God, is contingent and not at all necessary; its existence relies on the Earth and the Sea and it would have been entirely possible for it never to have existed. But other meditators, whose minds are confused and mired in sensory images, must work much harder, and might even require a proof to attain the requisite clear and distinct perception.

evaluate anselm’s ontological argument for the existence of god.

For them, God's existence is akin to the Pythagorean Theorem. The fool understands the definition of God but denies that God exists. Aquinas' critique was regarded as so devastating that the ontological argument died out for several centuries. It means that it is impossible for God to stop existing or not to have always existed. The fool understands the definition of God but denies that God exists. Descartes assumes that existence is more perfect than non-existence and so God, being perfect, has the attribute of existing. In effect, Descartes thinks he has already satisfied Mersenne and Leibniz's extra condition.

What are the strengths of the Ontological Argument for God's existence Essay

This definition is understood by believers and non-believers. For example, what would be greater:. He is the greatest thought. It is widely believed that Descartes did not have a response to this objection, indeed that he blithely assumed that existence is a property without ever considering the matter carefully. This led to the development of a number of intermediate positions, including Duns Scotus' curious notion of a formal distinction and the view that essence and existence are modally distinct such that existence constitutes a mode of a thing's essence.

Strength and Weaknesses of Ontological Argument

From this he concludes that the concept of a being that possesses all such qualities is consistent. So we shall come to understand that necessary existence is contained in the idea of a supremely perfect being …. It is greater to exist in reality than merely as an idea. Therefore, since he does exist in a possible world, by definition, he exists in every possible world, which means he exists in the real world. Strength and weaknesses of ontological argument The Ontological Argument was, and still is, a hot-topic for debate among philosophers; many famous philosophers have published criticisms of the theory including Immanuel Kant and St.

The Ontological Argument

It is an a posteriori argument, meaning we can draw conclusions from experiences based on what we see around us, although it is not a fact. This criticism is very astute and, therefore, severely weakens the argument and its effectiveness. Therefore, it is impossible to say that existing is a defining predicate of God because it adds nothing to the definition of God. However, there are many criticisms. Anselm also argues that God exists as an idea in the mind.

Essay about Strength and weaknesses of ontological argument

But we cannot imagine something that is greater than God for it is a contradiction to suppose that we can imagine a being greater than the greatest possible being that can be imagined. If God exists, we probably have to make him accountable. He then goes on to argue that, even if this were true, there would be no contradiction in altogether rejecting the concept of God. The basis for this method is the rule for truth, which was previously established in the Fourth Meditation. Descartes's Philosophy Interpreted According to the Order of Reasons, vol. If you can see my toe, then you can infer that I exist whether or not my toe is still attached in any meaningful way to my body. Some commentators have thought that Descartes is committed to a species of Platonic realism.

7 Teleological Argument Strengths and Weaknesses

Kant draws on Descartes' claim that denying the existence of God is like denying that a triangle must have three sides: he agreed that if a triangle exists then it must have three sides, but argued that we cannot ascribe existence a priori to either the triangle, or to God- God's existence is therefore separate from His existence, with no real consequence. It shows merely that if God's existence is possible or non-contradictory, then God exists. God is self-evident in himself because he is his own essence. But this opens up an interesting question: what sort of objects may exist necessarily? Existence is included in the essence of a supremely perfect being, but not in the essence of any finite thing. Descartes interprets Aquinas to be claiming that God's existence is not self-evident to everyone, which is something with which he can agree. . Cosmological Argument Things… 1556 Words 7 Pages concerning the existence of God.