'I Think, Therefore God Exists' | The Ontological Argument (AFG #5)
Alex O'Connor・2 minutes read
Anselm of Canterbury proposed the ontological argument for God's existence based on rationality alone, defining God as a maximally great being. Challenges arise with paradoxes of omnipotence and omniscience, and the concept of a morally perfect being hinges on pre-existing ideas of objective morality, raising questions about the argument's validity.
Insights
- The ontological argument proposed by Anselm of Canterbury in the 11th century defines God as a maximally great being with omnipotence, omniscience, and moral perfection in every possible world, but challenges arise due to paradoxes of omnipotence and omniscience.
- Thomas Aquinas, a prominent theologian, rejected the ontological argument, suggesting that belief in God can stand independently of this specific rationale, emphasizing the need to consider alternative perspectives and arguments in discussions about God's existence.
Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free
Recent questions
What is the ontological argument for God's existence?
It is based on rationality and defines God as maximally great.
Related videos
Summary
00:00
"Ontological Argument: God's Existence and Challenges"
- Anselm of Canterbury in the 11th century proposed the ontological argument for God's existence based on rationality alone.
- The ontological argument defines God as a maximally great being, requiring omnipotence, omniscience, and moral perfection in every possible world.
- Challenges arise with the paradoxes of omnipotence and omniscience, such as the inability to create a rock too heavy to lift or foreseeing all future choices without the ability to change one's mind.
- The concept of a morally perfect being hinges on pre-existing ideas of objective morality, which cannot be used to prove God's existence.
- The impossibility of an actually infinite number of things is demonstrated through mathematical paradoxes, similar to the paradoxes of omnipotence and omniscience.
- Possible worlds represent ways the world could have been, with some entities existing in certain possible worlds but not in others due to logical coherence.
- A maximally great being must exist in every possible world to truly be maximally great, leading to the conclusion that if it exists in any possible world, it exists in every possible world.
- The ontological argument's premises are critiqued, highlighting the fallacy in assuming God's existence to prove God's perfections and necessary existence.
- Thomas Aquinas, a renowned theologian, rejected the ontological argument, emphasizing that belief in God can exist without relying on this specific argument.
