Saint Anselms Ontological Argument Saint Anselms ontological argument for the existence of God is based on logical inconsistence of two equally legitimate statements, which consequentially derive out of each other. Saint Anselm suggests that one cannot imagine anything greater than omnipotent and omnipresent God. If this statement is true, there can be nothing imaginable greater than God. However, if God does not exist, than we should be able to imagine something greater than God. Yet this is impossible, therefore, God exists. This argument, of course, is based on sophist philosophical tradition, which used to popular in ancient Greece.
Its main fault is that it does not consider the fact that peoples sense of logic cannot be considered as an absolute category, because it derives out of their limited ability to perceive the surrounding reality. This leads to situation when we can logically prove something that does not correspond to the objective reality. For example, it is possible to prove that flying bullet never reaches its target, after it leaves the barrel, because it remains suspended in the air. Yet, we know that this is not true. The best contra argument to Saint Anselms thesis is that our sense of logic is affected by the limitations of our sensory apparatus. Along with Saint Anselms ontological argument, which is supposed to prove the existence of God, there are so called arguments from motion and cause.
They are associated with the name of Saint Augustine, who was first to define them. He suggested that since every movement in this world is cased by another movement, there should be a primeval force, which was behind the very first movement. He calls it God. In addition, Saint Augustine says that nothing is caused by itself. There has to be an infinite power, which started the chain of causes and consequences. This can only be God. The main fallacy of such approach is that it assumes that this power can only be referred to as God, although this is not necessarily the case.
The Essay on Running Head Anselms Ontological Argument
Running head: ANSELM'S ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT Anselm's Ontological Argument May 27, 2009 Anselm's Ontological Argument Anselm's Ontological Argument is the argument for the existence of God, presented by famous theologian of the 11th century, Anselm. Basically, it implies the following. According to Anselm, God is the greatest thing ever that can be conceived, and if assuming that God did not exist, ...
The force behind the original creation might have been very powerful, but not necessarily omni powerful, which we associate with God. We can say that the validity of Saint Anselm and Saint Augustines arguments for the existence of God is undermined by the fact that authors sense of logic is based on religious idealism..
