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

CrashCourse
4 Apr 201609:13
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThis Crash Course Philosophy episode explores the philosophy of religion, distinguishing it from theology and emphasizing the need for evidence in religious belief. It introduces Anselm of Canterbury's ontological argument for God's existence and critiques it through Gaunilo's Lost Island and Kant's view on existence as a predicate, highlighting the ongoing debate in philosophical circles.

Takeaways
  • 📚 The philosophy of religion is distinct from theology. Theology assumes God's existence and explores implications, while philosophy questions the existence and nature of God without assuming it.
  • 🧐 Philosophers do not take faith as a valid argument. Faith is considered unprovable and therefore not valuable from a philosophical perspective.
  • 🤔 The philosophical study of religion requires arguments and evidence for religious beliefs, challenging the notion that faith alone is sufficient.
  • 🌐 Religion has been a significant influence in shaping history, making it crucial to understand and examine its philosophical underpinnings.
  • 👨‍🦳 Anselm of Canterbury, an 11th-century French monk, proposed an ontological argument for God's existence, defining God as the greatest conceivable being.
  • 🏆 According to Anselm, God is 'that than which no greater can be conceived,' suggesting that the very concept of God implies His existence.
  • 🤔 Anselm's argument posits that if God exists only in the imagination, He would not be the greatest conceivable being, as a real God would be superior.
  • 🏝 Gaunilo, a contemporary of Anselm, criticized the argument by suggesting it could be used to prove the existence of anything imagined, like a mythical Lost Island.
  • 🚫 Anselm's response to Gaunilo's criticism was accused of begging the question, as he defined God as a necessary being, effectively assuming God's existence in his definition.
  • 📚 Immanuel Kant argued that 'existence is not a predicate,' meaning that existence cannot be used as a defining characteristic to prove the existence of something.
  • 🌳 John Wisdom's Parable of The Invisible Gardener illustrates the difficulty in distinguishing between an undetectable entity and the absence of such an entity, highlighting the challenges in proving God's existence.
Q & A

  • What is the primary difference between the philosophy of religion and theology?

    -The primary difference is that theology assumes the existence of God and explores implications and solutions based on that belief, while the philosophy of religion does not take religious beliefs as a given and requires arguments and evidence for any claims about religion.

  • Why is faith not considered a valid form of evidence in the philosophical study of religion?

    -Faith is considered unprovable by definition, and from a philosophical perspective, it is not valuable as evidence because it is inherently subjective and cannot be objectively verified or disproven.

  • What is an ontological argument, and who is credited with proposing one for the existence of God?

    -An ontological argument is a deductive argument for the existence of God based on the understanding of God's nature or definition. The 11th-century French monk Anselm of Canterbury is credited with proposing one of the earliest ontological arguments.

  • What is Anselm's definition of God in the context of his ontological argument?

    -Anselm defines God as 'that than which no greater can be conceived,' suggesting that God is the best possible thing we can imagine, and by definition, superior to any other conceivable being.

  • How does Anselm's ontological argument claim that God must exist?

    -Anselm argues that since God is defined as the greatest conceivable being, anything less than the greatest would not be God. Therefore, if we can conceive of God, and existence is a quality that makes something greater, then God must exist both in our minds and in reality.

  • What is Gaunilo's Lost Island counterargument against Anselm's ontological argument?

    -Gaunilo suggests that if Anselm's reasoning is valid, it could be used to 'prove' the existence of anything we can imagine, such as a Lost Island with impossible properties, thus highlighting a potential flaw in Anselm's argument.

  • What is the fallacy of begging the question, and how does it apply to Anselm's response to Gaunilo's criticism?

    -The fallacy of begging the question occurs when an argument assumes the very point it is trying to prove. Anselm's response to Gaunilo, by defining God as a necessary being, assumes God's existence as part of the definition, thus committing this fallacy.

  • What was Immanuel Kant's objection to Anselm's ontological argument?

    -Kant objected by stating that 'existence is not a predicate.' He argued that existence cannot be used as a defining characteristic of something, and therefore, Anselm's argument mistakenly treats existence as if it could prove the essence of God.

  • What is the Parable of The Invisible Gardener, and how does it relate to the ontological argument for God's existence?

    -The Parable of The Invisible Gardener is a thought experiment by John Wisdom that illustrates the difficulty in distinguishing between an undetectable entity and the absence of such an entity. It relates to the ontological argument by questioning the validity of positing God's existence based on the concept of an undetectable, intangible being.

  • What can we learn from the fact that both Gaunilo and Kant agreed with Anselm's conclusion but disagreed with his argument?

    -This demonstrates that it is possible to accept a conclusion while recognizing that the argument used to reach it is flawed. It encourages the search for better arguments to support one's beliefs or conclusions.

Outlines
00:00
📚 Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion

This paragraph introduces the topic of the Philosophy of Religion, distinguishing it from Theology by emphasizing that the former does not assume the existence of God and instead questions all beliefs, including religious ones. It explains that philosophers require arguments and evidence for any belief, including religious ones, and that faith alone is not sufficient from a philosophical standpoint. The paragraph also clarifies that the philosophy of religion is not about inheriting beliefs from parents, studying religious texts as proof, or examining religion from anthropological, sociological, or psychological perspectives. Instead, it focuses on the arguments for the existence of God, introducing Anselm of Canterbury's ontological argument as a starting point for this philosophical inquiry.

05:01
🤔 The Ontological Argument and its Critiques

The second paragraph delves into Anselm's ontological argument for God's existence, which is based on the definition of God as the greatest conceivable being. Anselm argues that if we can imagine something, and that something is better if it exists in reality, then God, defined as the best possible thing, must exist both in our minds and in reality. The paragraph also discusses the counterarguments presented by Gaunilo and Immanuel Kant. Gaunilo uses a 'Lost Island' analogy to point out the potential flaw in Anselm's reasoning, suggesting that the argument could be used to 'prove' the existence of anything conceivable. Kant's objection is that existence is not a predicate and thus cannot be used as a defining characteristic to prove the existence of something. The paragraph concludes with John Wisdom's 'Invisible Gardener' thought experiment, which questions the validity of positing the existence of an entity based solely on the absence of evidence to the contrary.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Philosophy of religion
The philosophy of religion is a branch of philosophy that explores questions regarding religion, including the nature and existence of God, the examination of religious experience, and the analysis of religious language and texts. Unlike theology, it does not assume the existence of God and requires arguments and evidence to support religious beliefs. The video emphasizes the need for philosophical scrutiny of religious beliefs.
💡Theology
Theology is the study of the nature of the divine and religious belief, which starts from the assumption that God exists and seeks to understand what follows from this belief. Unlike philosophy of religion, theology does not consider atheism as an option. The video differentiates theology from the philosophy of religion, highlighting that theology does not question the existence of God.
💡Faith
Faith refers to a strong belief in religious doctrines based on spiritual conviction rather than proof. In the video, faith is contrasted with philosophical inquiry, as philosophers do not accept faith as a sufficient justification for belief. Faith is described as unprovable and therefore not valuable from a philosophical perspective.
💡Ontological argument
The ontological argument is a philosophical argument for the existence of God that uses the definition and nature of God as a starting point. Anselm's version posits that God, being the greatest conceivable being, must exist in reality because a God that exists is greater than one that only exists in the mind. The video discusses Anselm's argument and the criticisms it faces.
💡Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury was an 11th-century French monk who proposed a famous ontological argument for the existence of God. He defined God as 'that than which no greater can be conceived' and argued that such a being must exist in reality. The video explains Anselm's argument and the subsequent debates it sparked.
💡Gaunilo of Marmoutiers
Gaunilo of Marmoutiers was a contemporary of Anselm who criticized the ontological argument. He used the example of a perfect island to illustrate that Anselm's reasoning could be used to prove the existence of anything imagined, thereby highlighting a flaw in the argument. The video discusses Gaunilo's critique as a significant challenge to Anselm's argument.
💡Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant was an 18th-century German philosopher who argued that 'existence is not a predicate.' He believed that Anselm's mistake was treating existence as a defining characteristic. Kant's objection is presented in the video as a major philosophical critique of the ontological argument.
💡Predicate
A predicate is something that is said of another object, often describing a property or attribute. Kant argued that existence is not a predicate because it does not add to the essence of a being. The video explains Kant's view that predicates cannot be used to prove existence, challenging Anselm's argument.
💡Parable of the Invisible Gardener
The Parable of the Invisible Gardener is a thought experiment by philosopher John Wisdom that explores the concept of belief in an undetectable entity. In the video, it is used to illustrate the difficulty of proving the existence of God, comparing an invisible, intangible gardener to the concept of God.
💡Necessary being
A necessary being is one that must exist and cannot not exist. Anselm's ontological argument relies on the idea that God is a necessary being. The video discusses how Anselm's definition of God includes necessary existence, which is critiqued as begging the question by assuming what it aims to prove.
Highlights

The philosophy of religion is distinct from theology as it does not assume the existence of God and questions all beliefs.

Philosophical study requires arguments and evidence for religious beliefs, unlike theology where atheism is not an option.

Faith alone is not sufficient in philosophy; it must be supported by provable arguments.

Religion's impact on history makes understanding its philosophical underpinnings crucial.

Philosophy of religion is not about inheriting beliefs from parents or relying on personal upbringing.

Studying religious texts like the Bible is not the same as proving the truth of religious claims.

Religious anthropology, sociology, and psychology are separate from the philosophical examination of God's existence.

Anselm of Canterbury proposed the ontological argument for God's existence based on the concept of God as the greatest conceivable being.

Anselm's argument suggests that God must exist both in the mind and reality to be the greatest conceivable being.

Gaunilo's Lost Island counterargument highlights the potential flaw in Anselm's reasoning by applying it to a hypothetical scenario.

Anselm's response to Gaunilo's criticism introduces the concept of 'necessary being', which is criticized as begging the question.

Immanuel Kant argued that 'existence is not a predicate', challenging the ontological argument's logical structure.

John Wisdom's Parable of The Invisible Gardener illustrates the difficulty in distinguishing between an undetectable entity and non-existence.

The ongoing debate over Anselm's ontological argument reflects the complexity and depth of philosophical inquiry into God's existence.

Thomas Aquinas, to be discussed in the next episode, also contributed to arguments for God's existence.

The episode emphasizes the importance of seeking better arguments even when one agrees with a conclusion.

Squarespace is highlighted as a sponsor, offering easy website creation for various purposes.

Crash Course Philosophy is produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios, promoting a range of educational content.

Transcripts

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PhilosophyReligionGodExistenceTheologyAtheismFaithArgumentsAnselmOntological