Anselm’s Ontological Argument for God’s Existence

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Anselm’s Ontological Argument for God’s Existence
Anselm begins his ontological argument for God’s existence with a central definition. For Anselm, God is to be defined as “something than which nothing greater can be conceived.” It is from this definition that he makes his claim for the existence of God. The definition is so important because it posits that God represents something supreme. In order to appreciate Anselm’s argument, this specific conception of God must be remembered throughout.
After defining God, Anselm asks for proof. How can one be sure of God’s existence? Or how can Anselm’s fool say that “God is not?” Anselm argues that although this fool may claim that God does not exist, he/ she is still able to recognize the idea...

..... – could have received greater attention. Another issue is the role of the fool’s heart. The differentiation between the heart and the ability to conceive is left rather late in the argument. It would have been beneficial to have the differentiation made earlier. Finally, there is the superior position of existence in reality. The secondary importance given to the mere understanding is made too assuredly. Reality has a more complex nature than Anselm seems to suggest. However, all these objections are, of course, recognized as dealing very superficially with the argument. On the whole, the argument is strong.
Reference List
Saint Anselm. “Saint Anselm and
Gaunilo
.” Core Questions in Philosophy. New Jersey:
Preatice
Hall, 2001. pp. 125-128.