ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
   the so-called "PROOF" for the EXISTENCE of GOD which is distinguished by its claim to be an A PRIORI argument. It is associated with ANSELM of CANTERBURY who argued that God is the BEING "than which nothing greater can be conceived." Since existence is greater than non-existence, the greatest conceivable being must of necessity exist. Therefore God exists necessarily. In a second form of the argument, Anselm argues that God cannot be conceived as not existing because existence is logically appropriate to the idea of God as PERFECTION. Therefore either the idea of God is self-contradictory, or if it is consistent, then God exists necessarily.

Concise dictionary of Religion. 2012.

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  • ontological argument — n. Metaphysics an a priori argument for the existence of God, asserting that the conception of a perfect being implies that being s existence outside the human mind …   English World dictionary

  • Ontological argument — The ontological argument for the existence of God (or simply ontological argument) is an a priori proof for the existence of God. The ontological argument was first proposed by the eleventh century monk Anselm of Canterbury, who defined God as… …   Wikipedia

  • ontological argument — The celebrated argument for the existence of God first propounded by Anselm in his Proslogion, ch. 2. The argument is notable as being purely a priori, and is usually interpreted as an attempt to prove the existence of God without using any… …   Philosophy dictionary

  • ontological argument —    This term (from the Greek onta, meaning things that exist, and logos, meaning word ) refers to an argument for the existence of God that maintains that the very idea of God as the perfect being demands that such a perfect being exists. This… …   Glossary of theological terms

  • Ontological Argument —    Argument for the existence of God first formulated by St Anselm and based on the idea of God’s necessary existence …   Who’s Who in Christianity

  • ontological argument — Philos. an a priori argument for the existence of God, asserting that as existence is a perfection, and as God is conceived of as the most perfect being, it follows that God must exist; originated by Anselm, later used by Duns Scotus, Descartes,… …   Universalium

  • ontological argument — noun A type of argument proposed by a number of philosophers, including and , which maintains that the existence of God can be deduced from an analysis of the concept of God. Syn: ontological proof …   Wiktionary

  • ontological argument —    see argument, ontological …   Christian Philosophy

  • ontological argument — Philos. an a priori argument for the existence of God, asserting that as existence is a perfection, and as God is conceived of as the most perfect being, it follows that God must exist; originated by Anselm, later used by Duns Scotus, Descartes,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • ontological argument — noun Date: 1877 an argument for the existence of God based upon the meaning of the term God …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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