PHIL 200 1st Edition Lecture 3Outline of Last Lecture I. Types of Arguments and how they compareOutline of Current Lecture II. Anselm’s Ontological Argument backgroundA. ReductiosB. Common grounds Anselm starts withIII.Anselm ArgumentIV. Criticism on Anselm ArgumentCurrent Lecture-Anselm’s Ontological Argument-II: Anselm’s Ontological Argument Anselm’s Ontological Argument: A famous argument trying to prove God is real-The form of the argument is ‘reductio ad absurdum’ meaning reduction to absurdityReductio: Reductios work if you want to try to show that something is true or false, you can assume the opposite of what you believe, then show how the assumption leads to a contradictory consequenceEx. Of reduction form:P1: Suppose the golden rule (do unto others as you want done unto you)P2: If the golden rule is true, masochists(people who like pain) should cause pain to othersC1/P3: masochists should cause pain to othersP4: No they shouldn’t!C2/P5: So, it must be the GR is false(Though Anselm’s argument is different, the idea is still the same because they assume the opposite and how it leads to absurd consequences. Also, Anselm’s doesn’t start with an assumption.)Common Grounds:1. God is defined as the greatest conceivable thing, no one or nothing is greater than godThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.2. God exists at least in understanding3. A God that exists in reality would be better than a God that is just understood 4. Atheist assumption: God doesn’t exist in reality, just in understandingIII: Anselm ArgumentP1. God is, by definition, the greatest conceivable being (“than which nothing greater can be conceived”). P2. God exists at least in the understanding (we understand this definition—of the greatest conceivable being). P3. A God that existed in reality would be better than one that existed merely in the understanding P4. Suppose (for reductio) that God doesn’t exist in reality, but only in the understanding C1/P5. Then we could conceive of a being greater than God, namely a real God (Why? Because of P3) C2/P6. But then we could conceive of something greater than the greatest conceivable being (from P1) P7. But you clearly can’t conceive of a greater being than the greatest conceivable being (God) P8. Therefore God exists in reality as well as the understanding. I.e., God exists.IV: Criticism of Anselm ArgumentGaunilo’s Criticism: -argument proves “too much”-perfect can be anything, not just GodBlackburn’s Criticism:-The comparison of real and imaginary things is hard to follow/believe-P3 seems sketchySound Argument:A deductive argument that is (a) valid and (b) has all true premises is called a sound argument (has true reasoning and a true conclusion) Ex.) P1: All wines are
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