Proslogion and commentary

1
Proslogion (and commentary)

• Philosophy 1
• Spring, 2002
• G. J. Mattey

2
Anselm

• Born 1033
• From Aosta, modern Italy
• Became Archbishop of Canterbury, England
• Applied exact philosophical analysis to
  theological issues
• Died 1109

3
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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Gaunilos 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

8
Anselms 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 conceivedone 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
• Truth
• Justice
• Happiness
• Each of these is better than its opposite

10
Gods 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

11
Gods 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

12
Gods Justice

• God is merciful by helping people, though not by
  feeling compassionate
• God can spare the unjust because to do so
  increases goodness
• Gods 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)

13
Gods 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

14
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