In This Reading We Encounter St

question 4

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.
-Arguments like Anselm's rest on logic alone.

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Empowerment

The process of giving individuals or groups the autonomy, resources, and ability to make their own decisions and influence outcomes.

Attitude Curve

A graphical representation that illustrates the changes in an individual’s or group’s attitude over time or in response to specific stimuli.

Exploration Phase

A stage in various developmental and process frameworks where individuals or groups seek information, experiment, and consider multiple paths or solutions before making decisions.

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Information or truths that are disagreeable, distressing, or hard to accept but important to acknowledge.