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His most famous works include his Monologion and Prosologion. St. Anselm is most famous for his Ontological argument for Gods existence.
establish Gods existence without the need for observations of the world around us. Anselm believes that the conclusion that God exists can be found using only a priori and necessary premises.
than which nothing greater can be thought No. 1 is Anselms claim that there is no being greater than God in our understanding.
cannot-be-thought cannot exist in the mind alone. For if it exists in the solely in the mind even, it can be though to exist in reality also, which is greater. No. 2 this is Anselms claim that since to exist in both the understanding and reality is greater than to exist in the understanding alone.
being could be thought of, one the exists in the understanding as well as in reality.
3. Given that God is a being which nothing greater can
be conceived (1) and a being which exists in reality and the understanding is greater than a being which exists in the understanding alone (2), it should follow that God exists both in reality and in our understanding.
conceived 2. God either exists in the understanding or both the understanding and reality 3. Given 1, it follows that God cannot merely exist in the understanding alone 4. Since God cannot exist in the understanding alone, it must follow that he exists both in the understanding and in reality
Gaunilos Objection
Gaunilo parodied Anselms Ontological argument
easily understand what is being said, for there is nothing difficult here. Suppose however, as a consequence of this, he then goes on to say: you cannot doubt that this island, more excellent than all lands, actually exists somewhere in reality, because it undoubtedly stands in relation to your understanding. Since it is more excellent, not simply to stand in relation to the understanding, but to be in reality as well, therefore this island must necessarily be in reality.
GAUNILOS OBJECTION
Gaunilo here is using the same reasoning as Anselm to
establish that there is a Perfect Island, which is absurd since no actual island exists in reality.
Since we are able to conceive a perfect island with all
these attributes in our mind, does that not mean that there is indeed a perfect island in both our understanding and in reality?
from his Ontological argument because God is far greater than a perfect island.
God is infinite and all his qualities are maximal while
the island is merely finite and the qualities that make it a perfect island are not maximal because the island is finite.
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