God's existence is contained in his concept
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This argument is used in the debate Does God exist?.
This argument is a “pro” argument in the debate Does God exist?.
Summary[ edit ]
Quotes[ edit ]
“The fool himself is therefore forced to admit that there is, at least in the intelligence, something above which thought can conceive nothing, since when he hears about this supreme being, whoever he may be, he understands what he hears, and that everything that is understood exists in the intelligence. Now, this supreme being, above which thought can conceive nothing, cannot exist in intelligence alone; for, supposing this to be the case, there is nothing to prevent us from conceiving it as also existing in reality, which is a mode of existence superior to the first. If, then, the supreme being existed in intelligence alone, there would be something that thought could conceive of above it; it would no longer be the being par excellence, which implies contradiction. There is therefore without doubt, both in intelligence and in reality, a being above which thought can conceive nothing.”
References[ edit ]
Justifications[ edit ]
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Mathematician Kurt Gödel formalized an ontological proof of God's existence
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It's logically irrational to say that God doesn't exist
Objections[ edit ]
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Perfection does not imply existence -
Existence is not a predicate
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Existence cannot be demonstrated conceptually
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The argument is circular, because to be perfect, you have to be