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Line 17: − [[Atheists]] tend to agree with the first premise defining God, and from that follows in a strong, apparently deductive fashion. Anselm's proof bypasses [[Hume's Fork]].+ − − But Gaunilo, a contemporary of Anselm, played [[devil's advocate]] by using [[reductio ad absurdum]] and envisaged a 'lost, yet most perfect island'. Gaunilo argued that just because we can imagine this island does not mean it actually exists. Anselm responded by arguing that such an island is not instrinsically necessary to existence because the concept of no greater conceivable being existing would only apply to God, not to something tangible such as an island.
Ontological argument (view source)
Revision as of 02:40, September 14, 2011
, 02:40, September 14, 2011→Criticism: Actually they don't. Most atheists that I know deny God's greatness in fairly unfortunate terms.
== Criticism ==
== Criticism ==
Gaunilo, a contemporary of Anselm, played [[devil's advocate]] by using [[reductio ad absurdum]] and envisaged a 'lost, yet most perfect island'. Gaunilo argued that just because we can imagine this island does not mean it actually exists. Anselm responded by arguing that such an island is not instrinsically necessary to existence because the concept of no greater conceivable being existing would only apply to God, not to something tangible such as an island.
[[Kant]] weighed in against Descartes' version, challenging the premise that existence is a predicate of perfection. Kant said he could imagine a hundred thalers (coins) in such great detail that whether or not they actually existed was arbitrary, as there was no difference other than this between the imagined and the existent thalers.
[[Kant]] weighed in against Descartes' version, challenging the premise that existence is a predicate of perfection. Kant said he could imagine a hundred thalers (coins) in such great detail that whether or not they actually existed was arbitrary, as there was no difference other than this between the imagined and the existent thalers.