Summary Of The Ontological Argument

St. Anselm (1033/34-1109), was abbot of Bec and later archbishop of Canterbury (pg. 444). The Ontological Argument, has two basic arguments that God exists and there is not greater being than God. Anselm’s main goal is to deepen the love and understanding of God, and uses natural theology. This is the study of what could be know about God independently of special revelation. His argument is that we can only think of things that exists in our reality. If we can think of it, it already exists, like unicorn. A unicorn is a horse with wings and a horn, and all of which exists in our reality. Therefore, we can think of it. We can think of God; therefore, God exists. This his Anselms premise. He makes the claim that is of course not possible,
445).
This understanding therefore exists within “the understanding and in reality” (pg. 445). The argument continues with if you were to think God not to exists is just proving that he does because you cannot think of something that does not exist. And this is the argument that Gaunio is going to try and disprove. For Anselm believes, There is then, so truly a being than which nothing greater can be conceived to exist, that it cannot even be conceived not to exist; and this being thou art, O Lord, our God (pg. 445).
And for Gaunilo’s criticism, he takes the part of the fool because he believes he can think of something greater. Gaunilo’s, claim, “it is said that somewhere in the ocean is an island, which because of the difficulty, or rather the impossibility, of discovering what does not exist, is called the lost island” (pg. 446). This Island has more riches and resources than any land that is inhabited by man. Now he wants you to understand that someone is saying that there is no other Island greater than this one. If someone were to say