Here's a summarization of Anselm's Ontological Argument:
I'm going to focus on point #2, but first, an exercise for you to try at home: draw a bicycle.
Draw a bicycle in as much detail as you can manage. You can either draw a specific bicycle you're familiar with or a "generic" bicycle of your own design. Take as much time as you like, then look at it and ask yourself a question:
Would the bicycle work?
If the bicycle as you drew it was real - making reasonable allowances for artistic skill - would it do everything you would expect it to do?
Would the pedals and wheels turn? Would the steering work? Would the gears shift? Would the brakes stop it?
Getting into more detail: would the freewheel or freehub work properly? Would the bearings spin freely, or would they seize up?
Would the bike be too heavy? Would it be so weak that the frame snaps?
Now... is there anyone here who can say that their concept of a bike would fully reflect an actual bike?
And for those who can't get a proper bicycle to exist in your mind: do you really think you could manage any better with a god?
Anselm: Ontological Argument for the God’s Existence | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- It is a conceptual truth (or, so to speak, true by definition) that God is a being than which none greater can be imagined (that is, the greatest possible being that can be imagined).
- God exists as an idea in the mind.
- A being that exists as an idea in the mind and in reality is, other things being equal, greater than a being that exists only as an idea in the mind.
- Thus, if God exists only as an idea in the mind, then we can imagine something that is greater than God (that is, a greatest possible being that does exist).
- But we cannot imagine something that is greater than God (for it is a contradiction to suppose that we can imagine a being greater than the greatest possible being that can be imagined.)
- Therefore, God exists.
I'm going to focus on point #2, but first, an exercise for you to try at home: draw a bicycle.
Draw a bicycle in as much detail as you can manage. You can either draw a specific bicycle you're familiar with or a "generic" bicycle of your own design. Take as much time as you like, then look at it and ask yourself a question:
Would the bicycle work?
If the bicycle as you drew it was real - making reasonable allowances for artistic skill - would it do everything you would expect it to do?
Would the pedals and wheels turn? Would the steering work? Would the gears shift? Would the brakes stop it?
Getting into more detail: would the freewheel or freehub work properly? Would the bearings spin freely, or would they seize up?
Would the bike be too heavy? Would it be so weak that the frame snaps?
Now... is there anyone here who can say that their concept of a bike would fully reflect an actual bike?
And for those who can't get a proper bicycle to exist in your mind: do you really think you could manage any better with a god?