The Ontological Argument For The Existence Of God

Descartes’ ontological argument is an echo of the original ontological argument for the existence of God as proposed by St. Anselm in the 11th century. To illustrate the background of the ontological argument, Anselm’s argument works within a distinct framework of ontology that posits the existence of God as necessity by virtue of its definition. In other words, for the mind to conceive of an infinite, perfect God, ultimately implies that there must indeed be a perfect God that embodies existence, for perfection cannot merely exist as a mental phenomenon. God is, according to Anselm, self-evident in the mind. Criticisms to this argument can be found in Anselm’s contemporary, Gaunilo, who argues that such an argument can be used to - put†¦show more content†¦To apprehend God is akin to apprehending truths of mathematical nature; they are found within the contents of the mind and are ontologically and logically true. Further, mathematical truths have †˜essences’ which necessitate their existence; for example, the fact of three angles equalling two right angles is essential to the existence of the triangle. It is what makes the existing thing what it is. As for the idea of God, Descartes writes, â€Å"existence can no more be separated from the essence of God.†. Because God is defined as perfect, it then follows that God must therefore exist, as existence is itself a perfection. In other words, perfection is existence, and to not exist would be less than perfect; therefore, the ontological argument argues for necessity of God’s existence by virtue of his perfect essence. Strengths of the ontological argument, prima facie, are rather superficial and do not withstand objection if the argument is further probed and examined. Therefore, I do not see much strength in the argument itself, but in Descartes’ formulation of it. Firstly, of the few strengths that are initially brought to mind, the argument emplo ys succinct propositions and does not rely upon evidenceShow MoreRelatedThe Existence Of God : Ontological Argument Essay1696 Words   |  7 PagesThe question of the existence of God has troubled mankind for thousands of years. Many philosophers and theologians have always searched for prove whether God exists. Many of them constructed valid arguments which support theist believes. The existence of God was once never denied, as His presence, His existence was evident in miracles and the people s faith. But time and the advancement of modern science have called God and His very nature into question. The Perfect Being has become the sourceRead MoreThe Ontological Argument On The Existence Of God1608 Words   |  7 PagesThe ontological argument is one of the most prominent arguments with in philosophy. Ontological comes from the Greek word â€Å"ontos† meaning â€Å"being† or â€Å"what there is†. 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