The Strengths and Weaknesses of Anselm of Canterbury’s Ontological Proof for the Existence of God, from a Theological and Philosophical Standpoint

2014 ◽  
Vol 0 (15) ◽  
pp. 179-208
Author(s):  
Eduard SABLON LEIVA
Keyword(s):  
Existence Of God ◽  
Ontological Proof ◽  
Philosophical Standpoint

Two ‘Proofs’ of God's Existence

1965 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Ewing
Keyword(s):  
Natural Theology ◽  
Ordinary Sense ◽  
Existence Of God ◽  
Ontological Proof

I do not think that the existence of God can be proved or even that the main justification for the belief can be found in argument in the ordinary sense of that term, but I think two of the three which have, since Kant at least, been classified as the traditional arguments of natural theology have some force and are worthy of serious consideration. This consideration I shall now proceed to give. I cannot say this of the remaining one of the arguments, the ‘ontological proof’, which I shall therefore not discuss here.

scholarly journals How can we know the existence of God: Anselm and Aquinas?

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chibuikem C. Nnaeme
Keyword(s):  
Ontological Argument ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Existence Of God ◽  
Ontological Proof ◽  
Epistemological Conception ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Absolute

This article is concerned with how we can know about the existence of God. In attempting to do this, the article will single out two medieval thinkers, Anselm and Aquinas, and will examine their stances on the subject. The former holds, as exemplified in his ontological proof,that human beings can rationally know the existence of God, whilst the latter objects to theformer�s claim by proffering that human beings can know God�s existence through effects of God�s creation. Over the years these positions have appealed to people who defend eitherstr and of the argument. Such a followership makes worthwhile my efforts to contribute to the ongoing debate. It is my intention to show the argument of each of these positions and indicate which is more plausible to human beings. It is vital to note that Anselm and Aquinas both accept the existence of God; therefore, the existence of God is not in question for them.The article will only concentrate on where the two thinkers differ in terms of how human beings can know God�s existence.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article challenges idealists�philosophy that human beings can prove God�s existence from the concept, God, as epitomisedby Anselm�s ontological argument. The critique of the argument through the application of Aquinas�s realism exposes the limitedness of the human beings in epistemological conception of the absolute metaphysical reality.

ʿAllāma Ṭabāṭabāʾī (d. 1981),

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajjad Rizvi ◽  
Ahab Bdaiwi
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Intellectual History ◽  
Existence Of God ◽  
Realist Theory ◽  
Mulla Sadra ◽  
Ontological Proof ◽  
Intellectual Milieu ◽  
Post War

In modern Shiʿi intellectual history, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn Ṭabāṭabāʾī (d. 1981) stands out as the most important and influential philosopher and exegete in the twentieth century. The chapter is divided into parts: the first an account detailing his career and the intellectual milieu in which he lived; the second an exposition of his philosophical ideas, showing that Ṭabāṭabāʾī (1) formulated a realist theory of epistemology to combat skepticism; (2) rehearsed the traditional ontological proof for the existence of God for the new-theology of post-war Shiʿi intellectual history; (3) went to great lengths to demonstrate how philosophy could contribute to a more rigorous theological response to modernity; (4) provided the philosophy of being, championed by Mullā Ṣadrā (d. 1635), with a new impetus by stressing above all else the rationalistic facet of the tradition; and (5) reoriented philosophy to augment theological positions articulated in response to the challenges of modernity.

Schelling’s Criticism of Ontological Argument and Interpretation of Kant’s Doctrine of the Ideal of Reason

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 28-62
Author(s):  
Andrei B. Patkul
Keyword(s):  
Ontological Argument ◽  
Existence Of God ◽  
Ontological Proof ◽  
Real Existence ◽  
Anselm Of Canterbury ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Train Of Thought ◽  
The Ideal

To reconstruct a critique of the ontological proof of the existence of God in Schelling’s philosophy I examine his interpretation of the ontological argument by Anselm of Canterbury and Descartes as well as Schelling’s assessment of the critique of the Kantian ontological proof of the existence of God. I propose a reconstruction of Schelling’s account of undoubted being which cannot be deduced from the concept of the totality of all that is possible and therefore must come before any thought. He interprets reason as having an ecstatic nature which posits precedent undoubted being. This enables Schelling to formulate his own version of the thesis on the unity of being and thought, whereby being comes first and thought is only second. Against this background I analyse Schelling’s interpretation of the Kantian account of the ideal of reason. Schelling, on the one hand, agrees with Kant that being is not a real predicate, hence real existence cannot be deduced from essence in the sense of “what.” But, on the other hand, in contrast to Kant, he believes that real existence of the individual absolute must be assumed, which would be the subject for all possible predicates and whose being is ecstatically posited by reason as being external to itself. I raise the question of the relevance of Schelling’s thought for modern ontology, above all in overcoming ontotheology. Proceeding from the works of J. F. Courtine and L. Tengelyi I single out two aspects of Schelling’s doctrine that are relevant to my subject: (1) the priority of existence over essence in God’s being and (2) the fundamental irreducibility of God to a necessarily existent being, i.e. God’s freedom. It is evident that, in his interpretation of Kant, Schelling somewhat simplifies his train of thought and leaves it unclear how Kant links the concepts of necessary being and the supremely perfect being. It is also evident that Schelling’s concepts of “contingency,” “contingent necessity,” “the whole experience” need further study.

scholarly journals Dowody na istnienie Boga

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-132
Author(s):  
Anna Białas
Keyword(s):  
Saint Thomas Aquinas ◽  
Ontological Argument ◽  
Thomas Aquinas ◽  
Existence Of God ◽  
Ontological Proof ◽  
Anselm Of Canterbury

The increased interest in arguments for the existence of God appeared in the XI century, with the development of the dialectic. One of the most famous ontological proof is a proof of Anselm of Canterbury – to prove the existence of God by going out only with HIS idea. In the XIII century, the ontological argument has lost its importance to the „five ways” of the Saint Thomas Aquinas, inspired by Aristotle and based on experience.

Ukrainian community life of believers

2008 ◽  
pp. 110-134
Author(s):  
Pavlo Yuriyovych Pavlenko
Keyword(s):  
Religious Life ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Community Life ◽  
Religious Activity ◽  
Existence Of God ◽  
Religious System ◽  
Real Presence ◽  
The Status ◽  
Intimate Relations ◽  
The Individual

The cornerstone of any religion is its anthropological concept, which seeks to determine the essential orientations of man, to outline the ideological framework of its existence, to represent the idea of ​​its essence, purpose in earthly life. The main task of the religious system is the act of involving and subordinating man to the spiritual divine realm as the realm of the transcendental existence of God. Belief in the real presence of the latter implies a new understanding of oneself, which ultimately leads the religious individual to the desire to be involved in this transcendental existence, to have intimate relations with him, to have a consciousness inherent in God. Note that in this context, all human being is interpreted as a certain arena for this realization. Therefore, the religious life of the individual acquires the status of religious activity.

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