Anselms Ontological Argument

Looking to prove what we believe 103. For person trying to raise [her] mind to contemplate God seeking to understand what he believes He wants an argument that is going to do two things at once, and be of a certain form.

Anselms Ontological Argument

Not a connected chain of many arguments Wants to not only prove Gods existence, but also the existence of a certain Godtwo birds Points to be proved: existence, supreme good needing no other (redundant), ontological cause (q.b.?), whatever we believe.

Foundations
Foundations for the argument: A. ontological axiom: being has different degrees. B. axiom of criterion: these degrees can be measured as more or less great; this measurement takes as its starting point not a zero magnitude of nothingness, but rather an infinite magnitude of Gods fullness of being, or plenitude. Note here that although being, or greatness is being measured in terms of less or more, the system of measure is qualitative and not quantitative, that is, it involves greater in the sense of better, not more in the sense of numerically greater. C. by greater or lesser Anselm means more or less perfect; perfect or less perfect means more or less being.

Foundations for the Argument

D. a concept is said to exist if it has sense (that is, we know what it means). E. existence has at least two different kinds: existence as a thought and existence in actuality. That is, as not just a thought but as something that is existing apart from thought. F. existence in actuality is a good thing G. existence in actuality is better than existence in thought. H. Logical axiom: something cannot both be and not be at the same time; or two contradictory props. cant both be true at the same time.

The Argument, p. 117

1. We believe that God is something than which nothing greater can be thought. 2. We understand this concept. Even the fool knows what is meant by the concept. 3. It, the concept, has existence as a thought. (D). 4. As a concept God means something than which nothing greater can be thought 5. Given E,F, & G, God must exist.

Explanations
Explanation: if God exists only as a thought and not in actuality, then, this means that God, which is defined as something than which nothing greater can be thought is NOT something than which nothing greater can be thought because we can think of a God that would exist in both thought and reality (given F & G) this concept would be greater than the concept of God as only an idea which does not exist in reality. Given the definition, provided by faith, God cannot not exist and at the same time be a coherent concept. That is, if God does not exist in actuality, then the concept of God as something than which nothing greater can be thought would essentially entail a contradiction.

Look at this way.

1. God as something than which nothing greater can be thought exists in thought. 2. God as something than which nothing greater can be thought can be thought to exist in both thought and reality. Note: This idea in 2 is greater than the formulation in 1. So, now we have two forms of one notion of God. A. God only as a thought which is defined as something than which nothing greater can be thought. B. God as a thought which is defined as something than which nothing greater can be thought which also can be thought of as existing.

Explanations
B is greater than A (in thought), but God to be a logically coherent concept has to be determined as something than which nothing greater can be thought. So, God cant both be greater and not greater than itself (as in A and B), or else the concept of God violates the law of non-contradiction. Thus, God as a thought must exist, in fact the very idea of God includes existence. We have to think of God as existing, or else the concept doesnt make any sense.