theism
Scholars have often converged upon the same theme in what appears to be a very different line of argument, namely the ontological one, with which are associated especially the names of St. Anselm, first of the Scholastic philosophers (in the 11th century), and René Descartes, first major modern philosopher (in the mid-17th century). Proponents of this argument try to show that the very idea of God implies his existence. God is the being none greater than which can be conceived. Other things equal, a thing that has the attribute of existence is greater than a thing that does not. Thus, if God did not exist, it would be possible to conceive a being greater than him: namely, one that has all of God’s attributes plus existence. Therefore, God exists. Critics—such as Gaunilo, a monk of Marmoutier in Anselm’s day, and Immanuel Kant, one of the major architects of modern philosophy many centuries later—have fastened on the weakness that existence is not a predicate or attribute in the same way, at least, as colour or shape, but in the 20th century there were highly ingenious attempts by influential religious thinkers—e.g., Charles Hartshorne and Norman Malcolm—to ... (200 of 5,189 words)The ontological argument