Anselm & the Argument for God: Crash Course Philosophy #9

In this episode of Crash Course Philosophy, hank  takes us into the philosophy of religion, a discipline that examines religious beliefs and God from a philosophical perspective. Unlike theology, which assumes the existence of God and aims to explore its implications, philosophy of religion takes nothing for granted and demands rigorous argumentation. The concept of faith, often considered sufficient in theological discussions, does not hold the same weight in philosophical debates. We explore one of the earliest and most famous arguments for the existence of God, Anselm of Canterbury's ontological argument, along with some objections raised against it.

Anselm's Ontological Argument

Anselm, an 11th-century French monk, posited an ontological argument for the existence of God. He defined God as "that than which no greater can be conceived," representing the ultimate perfection. According to Anselm, if something exists solely in our minds but could exist in reality, it would be greater in reality than in imagination. Therefore, since God is defined as the greatest conceivable being, He must exist both in our minds and in reality. This argument is a deductive one, intended to prove the existence of God through the concept of God's nature.

The Challenge of Begging the Question

Anselm's argument faced criticism, especially from his contemporary, Gaunilo, a French monk. Gaunilo pointed out that if Anselm's argument were valid, it could be applied to prove the existence of anything imagined to be the best. This logical flaw is known as begging the question, where the conclusion of an argument is assumed within its premises. By introducing the concept of "necessary being" as part of the definition of God, Anselm's response appeared to assume God's existence from the outset, undermining the argument's validity.

Kant's Objection: Existence is Not a Predicate

Immanuel Kant, an 18th-century German philosopher, challenged Anselm's ontological argument on the grounds that existence is not a defining characteristic or predicate of objects. Kant argued that predicates add to the essence of their subjects but do not prove their existence. For example, a triangle exists if it has three sides, but the idea of existence is not part of how we define a triangle. Similarly, defining God as the greatest conceivable being does not necessarily prove His existence.

The Parable of the Invisible Gardener

The philosopher John Wisdom devised a thought exercise called The Parable of the Invisible Gardener to illustrate the ongoing debate over proving God's existence. In the parable, two individuals return to a garden and notice thriving plants. Person A posits that a gardener must be tending the garden, while Person B doubts this claim. When no gardener is found despite extensive searches, Person A suggests the gardener is invisible, intangible, and entirely undetectable. Person B responds by questioning the meaningful distinction between an entirely undetectable gardener and no gardener at all. The parable raises doubts about the legitimacy of arguments based on imperceptible entities.

The philosophy of religion, unlike theology, questions religious beliefs and God's existence without taking them as given. Anselm's ontological argument attempted to prove God's existence by defining God as the greatest conceivable being, but it faced objections like begging the question and the fallacy of existence as a predicate. Critics like Kant argued that existence cannot be proven through mere definitions. The debate over God's existence continues to stimulate philosophical discussions, with different thinkers proposing and refining various arguments over the centuries.