The Ontological Argument (1 of 2) | by MrMcMillanREvis

Summary

In this introduction to the ontological argument for God's existence, Mr. McMillan outlines the background concepts and distinguishes the argument from cosmological and teleological ones. He explains that the ontological argument is deductive and a priori, aiming to prove God's existence through logical reasoning rather than empirical evidence. The script delves into St. Anselm's proof by contradiction, asserting that God's existence is an analytic statement, concluding that God must exist in reality.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video introduces the ontological argument for the existence of God, which is a philosophical argument rather than empirical evidence-based.
• 💭 The ontological argument is distinct from cosmological and teleological arguments, as it is deductive rather than inductive, aiming for logical proof rather than persuasive evidence.
• 📉 The ontological argument is a priori, meaning its truth can be assessed without looking for evidence from the world, unlike a posteriori arguments that require empirical evidence.
• 🔍 The argument claims that the statement 'God exists' is analytic, where the predicate (existence) is included in the subject's (God's) definition, similar to how 'triangles have three sides' is self-evident.
• 🎩 Saint Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is credited with formulating the most famous version of the ontological argument, which he presented as a prayer, indicating a faith-seeking-understanding approach.
• 🧩 Anselm's argument is structured as a proof by contradiction, starting with an assumption that leads to a logical inconsistency, thus proving the opposite must be true.
• 💡 The argument is based on three premises: God is conceived as that than which nothing greater can be thought, existence can be in the mind only or in reality, and it is greater to exist in both the mind and reality than just the mind.
• 🤔 By assuming God exists only in the mind, Anselm shows that this leads to a contradiction, implying that God must also exist in reality to be truly 'that than which nothing greater can be thought'.
• 🔄 Anselm presents a second form of the argument, adjusting the premises to focus on contingent versus necessary existence, again leading to a contradiction that God must exist necessarily.
• 🔗 The video concludes part 1 and invites viewers to follow a link for part 2, suggesting a continuation of the discussion on the ontological argument and its criticisms.
• 📢 The speaker encourages viewers to follow them on social media and mentions the availability of an audio-only version of the content for those interested in the topic.

Q & A

What is the ontological argument for the existence of God?

The ontological argument is a philosophical argument that claims that the concept of God implies his existence. It suggests that once we understand the idea of God as something than which nothing greater can be thought, we should see that God must exist in reality.

How does the ontological argument differ from the cosmological and teleological arguments?

The ontological argument is deductive and a priori, meaning its truth can be assessed through understanding definitions without the need for external evidence. In contrast, the cosmological and teleological arguments are inductive and a posteriori, relying on evidence from the universe and concepts of purpose and design.

What is a deductive argument and how does it relate to the ontological argument?

A deductive argument is one where if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true. The ontological argument is deductive because it asserts that accepting its premises leads to the conclusion that God's existence is necessary.

What is an a priori argument and why is the ontological argument considered a priori?

An a priori argument is one where the truth can be assessed prior to looking at evidence from the world. The ontological argument is a priori because it is based on the understanding of the concept of God, without requiring empirical evidence.

What is the difference between an analytic and a synthetic statement in the context of the ontological argument?

An analytic statement is one where the predicate is included in the subject's definition, such as 'triangles have three sides.' A synthetic statement requires external evidence for its truth. The ontological argument claims that 'God exists' is an analytic statement because the concept of God includes necessary existence.

Who is Saint Anselm and what is his contribution to the ontological argument?

Saint Anselm was the Archbishop of Canterbury and is known for formulating the most famous form of the ontological argument. His work is written as a prayer, reflecting his approach as someone with faith seeking understanding.

What are the three premises of Saint Anselm's ontological argument?

The three premises are: 1) God is something than which nothing greater can be thought of, 2) things can exist either in the mind only or in the mind and reality, and 3) it is greater for a thing to exist in the mind and reality rather than just in the mind only.

Can you explain the proof by contradiction used in Saint Anselm's argument?

Saint Anselm's argument uses a proof by contradiction by assuming that God exists only in the mind and then showing that this leads to a logical contradiction. If it is greater to exist in both the mind and reality, then a God who exists only in the mind would not be the greatest conceivable being, thus contradicting the initial premise.

What is the second form of the ontological argument presented by Saint Anselm?

The second form of Saint Anselm's argument adjusts the second and third premises to focus on the necessity of God's existence. It posits that God can either exist contingently or necessarily and argues that it is greater to exist necessarily, leading to a contradiction if God only exists contingently.

How does the script suggest engaging further with the topic?

The script encourages viewers to follow the link for part 2, and to follow the presenter on social media platforms like Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook for more content. It also mentions an audio-only version of the video on the 'Pond Being Calm' podcast.