Ontological Arguments
Evaluate a priori arguments from the concept of God in Anselm, Descartes and Malcolm.
How to study A-level Philosophy
Learn each position as an argument, connect it to its strongest objection and reply, then decide what conclusion the dialectic supports.
Core concepts
Concept 1
Ontological arguments attempt to establish God's existence through reason and the concept of a maximally great or necessary being.
Exam cue: Reconstruct each version separately instead of treating all ontological arguments as one.
Concept 2
Anselm reasons from that than which nothing greater can be conceived, Descartes treats existence as inseparable from perfection and Malcolm uses necessary existence.
Exam cue: Identify whether the objection targets conceivability, comparison, predication or modal status.
Concept 3
Gaunilo's island, empiricist objections and Kant's denial that existence is a real predicate challenge different inferential steps.
Exam cue: Explain why necessary existence is not merely very long existence.
Targeted study blocks
Specified core
Secure the claim and its place in the debate
Keep Anselm, Descartes and Malcolm distinct and match Gaunilo, empiricist and Kantian objections to the precise premise each targets.
Philosophical work
Reconstruct, challenge and judge the argument
Translate the argument into premises, test whether existence or necessity is smuggled into the concept and evaluate the strongest revised version.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Assuming a definition can straightforwardly create any object.
Guardrail: Do not replace philosophical reasoning with quotation, biography, intuition or a philosopher's name.
Using Gaunilo as if it directly answers every modal formulation.
Guardrail: Do not replace philosophical reasoning with quotation, biography, intuition or a philosopher's name.
Misstating Kant as saying existence is unimportant.
Guardrail: Do not replace philosophical reasoning with quotation, biography, intuition or a philosopher's name.
Memory anchors
Ontological argument
An ontological argument reasons a priori from the concept of God to divine existence.
Anselm's formula
God is conceived as that than which nothing greater can be conceived.
Gaunilo
Gaunilo uses a perfect-island parody to challenge the form of Anselm's reasoning.
Real predicate
A real predicate adds a property to a concept; Kant argues existence does not do this.
Necessary existence
Necessary existence is existence that could not have failed to obtain.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
What makes an ontological argument a priori?
How does Anselm define God?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
What is Pass Harbor?
Completely free exam prep for 247 UK exams.
- Practice questions
- Flashcards
- Study guides
- Mock exams
- No registration
- No paywall
- Start instantly
“No more expensive exam prep. Quality study tools should be accessible to everyone.”