Ontological Arguments
Philosophy · Year 13 · Metaphysics of God: Concept and Existence · 1.º Período

Ontological Arguments

An exploration of a priori arguments for God's existence, focusing on Anselm, Descartes, and Malcolm. Students will evaluate criticisms from Gaunilo and Kant.

National Curriculum Attainment TargetsAQA A-Level Philosophy 7172: 3.2.1.2 Ontological argumentsDfE Philosophy AS and A-level subject content: Arguments for the existence of God

About This Topic

An exploration of a priori arguments for God's existence, focusing on Anselm, Descartes, and Malcolm. Students will evaluate criticisms from Gaunilo and Kant.

Key Questions

  1. Can existence be considered a predicate?
  2. Does the concept of a greatest conceivable being necessitate its existence?
  3. How effective is Gaunilo's perfect island objection?

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