In This Reading We Encounter St

question 12

True/False

In this reading we encounter St. Anselm's ontological argument for the existence of God and Gaunilo's reply. The argument goes like this: God is by definition "a being than which nothing greater can be conceived." If God, the greatest being that can be conceived, exists only in our minds, then there must be a being greater than God-that is, a God that exists in reality (an existing being is greater than an imaginary one). But this leads to a contradiction: A being greater than God is impossible. Therefore, God must exist in reality (as well as in the mind). Gaunilo replies that if Anselm's reasoning were sound, we could prove something ridiculous-namely, that the greatest island possible exists in reality.
-Philosophers agree that Anselm establishes the existence of God.

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The condition of being recognized or categorized by law, typically affecting an individual's or entity's rights and duties.

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A region in the United States, historically divided into North and South Carolina, known for its roles in the colonial period, slavery, and the Civil War.

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