Abstract
This essay looks at the argument for the existence of God, by arguing against Kant's criticism of the Anselmian Ontological Argument in favor of God. It details the Ontological Argument, noting the definitions of the priori, a posteriori, necessary and contingent propositions. It then looks at how Kant built on Aquinas' proofs of the existence of God, and refutation of Anselm's proofs, but then how Kant's criticism fails through his inconclusive argument that God must not exist in order to exist.

From the Paper
"A Criticism of the Ontological Argument for God The Ontological Argument was formulated by Saint Anselm (1033 - 1109), the future Archbishop of Canterbury. He made the influential "A Priori" argument in favor of the existence of God. This argument would later be famously rejected by Saint Thomas Aquinas (c. 1224 - 1274), an accomplished theologian and philosopher, who rejected Anselms' argument with a five point "A Posteriori" argument in favor of God. It would be later Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) who would launch one of the strongest critiques of Anselm's ontological argument, by arguing that existence is not actually a property of existing things."

Tags:anselm, kant, ontological

Abstract
The writer of this paper shows how Anselm (1033-1109), philosopher, theologian and church leader presented an argument for the existence of God that has been debated by philosophers and academicians for centuries. The paper shows that from the beginning, Anselm's argument has been met with criticism, appreciation and interest by philosophers such as Kant, Descartes and Spinoza. The writer is of the opinion that, after studying the argument, although interesting, it has certain basic flaws, which he attempts to bring out in this paper.

From the Paper
"While analyzing Anselm's argument and focusing on its weaknesses, the obvious question arises: Why has the argument fascinated so many philosophers over the years, if it was such a weak argument? The answer probably is that it is difficult to prove Anselm's argument wrong logically. Even Kant's argument that "existence is not a predicate" has been challenged by others who have argued that there are senses in which existence is a predicate. So the controversy of and fascination with Anselm's argument is far from over and is likely to continue."

Tags:Book, on, Behalf, of, the, Fool, Lost, Island, Proslogium, Gaunilo, Liebniz, RAA

Abstract
A definition of an ontological argument is provided - to show that God exists without appealing to any real proof. The paper then introduces Middles Ages Saint Anselm's proposed ontological argument whereby he stated that the thought of God would not exist in the human mind if the potentiality for God's presence were not already embedded in the human mind.

From the Paper
"The basics of the ontological argument are: God is defined as the being in which none greater is possible. It is true that the notion of God exists in the understanding and in reality, meaning in the mind and as a possible being. If God exists only in the mind and may have existed in reality, then God might have been greater than He is. But if God is a being in which none greater is possible, then it is not possible for God to have existed only in the mind. The conclusion is that God must exist in reality, as well."

Tags:religion, faith, god, deity, belief

Abstract
This paper begins with a summary and explanation of St. Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God. The paper then takes a look at rebuttals to his argument presented by such famous thinkers as Rene Descartes, St. Thomas Aquinas and David Hume.

From the Paper
"St. Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God makes an appeal to pure reasoning, priori, without empirical evidence of any sort. St. Anselm's argument begins with a reference to fool in Psalms 53:1. St. Anselm asserts that even the fool is convinced that something exists in the understanding at least, than which nothing greater can be conceived. He claims that merely by analyzing the concept of God, we can deduce that God exists. St. Anselm's stresses that God is the greatest conceivable being, "a being than which none greater can be conceived." St. Anselm's concept is logical and understandable because it is intelligible, God exists in the understanding. St. Anselm's argument goes onto state that a being that exists merely in the understanding is not as great as a being that exists in reality as well. So a being that exists in the understanding alone is not the greatest conceivable being. "

Tags:fool, psalms, greatest, conceivable, being, perfect, universe, island, priori, posteriori

Abstract
This paper discusses the the age old argument of who or what is God, what qualities does God have and can God even be defined. The writer of this paper explains and defines in detail the ontological arguments as given by Saint Anselm and Rene Descartes.
Topics covered in this paper include:
Introduction
Anselm's Version
Descartes' Version
Conclusion
Bibliography

From the Paper
"Another counterargument to Anselm's ontological argument is that it assumes that God in reality must be something that is greater than what can be conceived. In this case, however, "God," first of all, could not be conceived of, thereby making the argument useless. Also, even if God could be conceived of, what would be greater than what could be conceived of would be unintelligible. Being unintelligible, it could be that no theory that man could ever formulate might be able to be applied to "God."

Tags:theology, religion, history, philosophy

Abstract
This paper discusses and compares Martin Heidegger's phenomenological analysis of human existence and St. Anselm's ontological argument on the existence of God. The writer describes the concept of "dasein," or "being," and the special meanings that Heidegger assigned to it. The writer explains how Heidegger saw being as preceding knowing and how his argument progresses to the conclusion that the being of "dasein" is time. St. Anselm, on the other hand, begins with a negative proposition and uses logic to deduce the existence of God. The writer concludes that while St. Anselm derives everything else from the generalization of God's existence from logic, Heidegger finds it nearly impossible to even completely understand the concept of being.

Outline:
Heidegger
St. Anselm
Comparison

From the Paper
"St. Anselm advanced that since God is that, than which nothing greater can be thought, He must necessarily exist in reality (Kent 2006). His ontological argument was in the form of a deduction ad absurdum. It presents a hypothesis, which presents unacceptable or non-valid consequences, which make the hypothesis false. He argues that God is that "than which no greater can be conceived" and sets it in conflict with the hypothesis that God does not exist. If the hypothesis is accepted or valid, then nothing imaginable can be greater than God. It also argues that a God that exists is greater than a God that does not exist."

Tags:historicality, individual, metaphysics, pre-scientific, non-existent, empirical, understanding

Abstract
This paper offers a brief synopsis of the 'Proslogion', and Anselm's ontological argument. The writer examines Anselm's first premise of the ontological argument for evidence to prove God's existence via reason, and explains how it is compelling in that it astutely chooses understanding and coherency as foundation to knowing. The second premise follows with a vigilant use of philosophical forms to prove God's existence is reality. The writer concludes that Anselm's work serves as a potent persuasive tool for the theist who is engaged in an ontological dialogue with an atheist or agnostic. This paper contains MLA-style footnotes but does not include a works cited page.

From the Paper
"First, Anselm writes about understanding, and how understanding and conceiving leads to existence of that which is conceived. If something is understood by a person then it exists. When the concept of God is conceived and understood, God then exists. For example, if an expression X is understood by a person Y, then X exists in the understanding of Y. Second, Anselm's argument informs us that when something exists in understanding it also exists in reality. As a matter of importance, it would be better for it to exist in reality than in understanding. Lastly, if the Supreme Being only exists in understanding, it would then entertain the thought of something being greater than it. If the Supreme Being exists in understanding, it can be "thought" to exist in reality."

Tags:theology, discipline, logic, Plato, belief, fool, consciousness, distinction

Abstract
This paper discusses the ontological proof that St. Anselm offered in the early twelfth century as proof of the existence of God. The paper then looks at critiques that are offered on the proof from both a contemporary monk and the modern philosopher Immanuel Kant. The paper explains that these proofs both strike at the key to the argument by contending that conceptualizing something does not prove its existence.

From the Paper
"In early twelfth century England, St. Anselm presented the first ontological proof of the existence of God. St. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury from 1093-1109, was one of the earliest and greatest proponents of what became called scholastic philosophy, and the ontological proof is an example of deductive theology. In this proof, Anselm attempts to prove that God exists, beginning with premises known to be true, and proceeding entirely by reason, without resort to sensory experience. This type of proof is also described as an a priori proof ("The Ontological Argument" by St. Anselm). St. Anselm's Ontological Argument was set forth in chapter..."

Tags:god, anselm, kant

Abstract
In this article, the writer compares and contrasts the ontologies of Anselm, Descartes and Kant. The writer maintains that Anselm's ontology is superior to the other two. The writer discusses that Anselm's ontology shows that all three arguments are indeed the same. But Descartes and Kant are in the process of criticizing Anselm, and their criticisms are unjust and misplaced. The writer maintains that this leads them to construct convoluted arguments while saying the same thing as Anselm does. The writer concludes that Anselm's is judged to be the superior argument because it is simple and intuitive.

From the Paper
"Ontology is a purported proof that God exists. The ontology provided by St. Anselm in the eleventh century set the standard in Western thought, and on which all subsequent ontology attempts to measure itself. Before the renaissance and the Age of Reason it was generally agreed that only a fool would deny the existence of God. Accordingly the ontology of St. Anselm employs the attitude of a fool - meaning some one without any of the higher concepts of philosophy - as the crux of the argument. The argument commences with a definition of God ... "

Tags:mind, matter, material, understanding, reality

Abstract
This paper examines St. Anselm of Canterbury's and Thomas Aquinas' attempts to prove the existence of God. The paper examines the arguments of both theologians and explains that, while their methods of proving the existence of God are very different, their arguments have endured and influenced Christian thought through the centuries. The paper also looks at the weaknesses in both men's theories and concludes with the assertion that the major weakness of both theories is that they prove the existence of God but not the existence of the God of the Bible and that in order to believe in the Christian God, divine revelation is needed.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Anselm's Arguments
Argument from Goodness
Argument from Existence
Ontological Argument
Aquinas' Arguments
Argument from Motion
Argument from Efficient Cause
St. Aquinas on St. Anselm
Problems with Anselm
Problems with Aquinas
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Anselm (1033 - 1109), would be considered in today's terms a theologian/philosopher. Anselm is most famous for his writings on; "Why God Became Man", his "satisfaction" theory of the atonement, and the "ontological argument." (His satisfaction theory effectively refuted early medieval notions of the devil's "rights" over fallen humankind. The satisfaction theory shaped nearly all Catholic and Protestant thought on redemptive theology, and is still prevalent at the date of this paper. (Evangelical dictionary of theology)). Anselm attempted to prove the existence of God via a much-debated theory known as the "ontological argument", which will be considered in further detail below."

Tags:satisfaction, atonement, ontological, catholic, protestant, redemptive, theology