The Argument from Perfections
A new ontological argument schema for the existence of a necessary being is presented. Several ways to fill in this schema are shown, based upon different conceptions of “positive property.” The argument is made that at least one of these senses matches an intuitive, prephilosophical concept on which the premises are plausible. This argument has certain advantages over ontological arguments for God. In particular, it is explained how one could find the premises in the argument plausible without being committed to premises that entail the stronger thesis that there must be a perfect being. There follows a discussion of an objection Oppy raises against an ontological argument for the stronger thesis, and an explanation of how the argument put forward in the chapter avoids that objection.