Anselm's "Monologion"

Philosophy > Metaphysics
Philosophy > Religion
Religion and Theology > Christianity

This paper looks at Anselm's "Monologion" and how, in it, Anselm covers ontology, the nature of God, His relation to created beings, and the doctrine of the Trinity.

1,900 words () | 1 source | MLA | 2008 Bangladesh

Paper Summary:

This essay analyzes Anselm's 'Monologion', spelling out his proof of the existence of God and how he elaborates on the perfection of His nature. The writer explains that Anselm's ontology is based on the idea of perfection, that a perfect being must necessarily exist. While elaborating on His nature Anselm comes to conclude that the Expression of God is the source of all created existence. The writer discusses that Anselm goes on to show the reasonableness of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, even though he does not intend to prove it. The writer concludes that Anselm acknowledges that we cannot apply predicates to God, which the doctrine of the Trinity does. However, he contends that the doctrine helps us to comprehend the nature of God better.

From the Paper:

"Anselm's Monologion is at first a detailed expansion of his more famous ontology - the proof of the existence of God - as expressed elsewhere. In this proof God is first equated with the most perfect being, and then it is demonstrated that such a being necessarily exists. The Monologion is concerned more with the nature of the most perfect being, and what else can be predicated about it, in relation to itself, and to created beings. The same line of argument is followed, where the oneness and the perfection of the Supreme Being are emphasized, but after a point we notice that the effort is diverted into explaining the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, so that God is said to be three persons in one substance, and yet indivisibly one. It needs to be remembered that Anselm does not attempt to 'prove' the doctrine of the Trinity. Therefore the latter part of the Monologion is really persuasive rather than demonstrative. The aim is to convince us of the reasonableness of the doctrine of the Trinity."