In This Reading We Encounter St

question 5

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.
-According to Rowe, Anselm's argument begs the question.

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Definitions:

Egocentric Thought

Thinking that does not take into account the viewpoints of others.

Centration

A cognitive limitation in early childhood thinking, characterized by focusing on one aspect of a situation while neglecting others.

Decentering

The cognitive ability to consider multiple aspects of a situation or problem simultaneously, crucial for understanding others’ perspectives and for problem-solving.

Formal Operations

Formal operations is a stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, where individuals gain the ability to think abstractly, logically, and systematically.