Anselm's ontological argument - Essay Example

Whereas ancient Greek philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle, hinted at the existence of a God, Anselm’s ontological argument offered one of the first expressly rational proofs for the Judeo-Christian God. In this paper, the author examines the ontological argument of St. Anselm by taking a look at the argument itself, and analyzing both the value and criticisms against it. Further, the discussion examines the influence of the ontological argument on modern thought, particularly Rene Descartes’ revival of the said proof.

The ontological argument derives its name from “ontos”, meaning “being”. The term “ontological” signifies an emphasis on the “being” or “nature” of an entity. An ontological argument, therefore, derives its strength from the nature itself of what is argued for. In the case of the ontological argument of Anselm, it is referred to as such because it seeks to prove the existence of God by appealing to the nature of this Supreme Being, or perhaps more correctly, to the definition of the latter.

He argues that to have an understanding of God as that than which nothing greater can be conceived, entails the acceptance of God’s existence since such a conception necessitates existence. He states: Therefore, if that than which nothing greater can be conceived, exists in the understanding alone, the very being than which nothing greater can be conceived, is one than which a greater can be conceived. But obviously, this is impossible. Hence, there is no doubt that there exists a being than which nothing greater can be conceived, and it exists both in the understanding and in reality (Fremantle 89).

It can be seen that such a proposal allows for a proof that is “built in” the term, so to speak. For if God is such a being, then it is of necessity that he must exist, since not to exist would mean that there is another being that is greater still, namely, one that exists. Thus, Anselm quotes Psalm 14:1