ST ANSELM AND THE ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT | KAIROS GLOBAL | JULY 2024

Author: George Paul

Intro: George Paul writes about St Anselm and his arguments proving the existence of God as well as establishing various attributes Christians believe God possesses. 

One of the most intriguing arguments for the existence of an all-perfect God is the ontological argument. Despite various versions, they all aim to show that denying the existence of the greatest possible being is self-contradictory. Therefore, it is a necessary truth that such a being exists. Before delving into the argument, let's briefly look at its originator, St Anselm of Canterbury.

Anselm was born in 1033 near Aosta, a Burgundian town on the Lombardy border. At twenty-three, he left home and wandered through Burgundy and France for three years before arriving in Normandy in 1059. There, he became fascinated with the Benedictine abbey at Bec, led by the renowned scholar Lanfranc. Anselm joined the abbey as a novice in 1060 and swiftly rose through the ranks, becoming prior in 1063 and abbot in 1078. Under his leadership, Bec gained a reputation as a centre of learning, and Anselm produced significant philosophical and theological works, including the Monologion and Proslogion.

This was a time when Europe was emerging from the Dark Ages and building a Christian civilisation and culture, thanks largely to the monasteries' educational efforts. Shortly before his death, a fellow monk told him he had only a few days left to live. Anselm replied, ‘If it is His will, I shall gladly obey, but if He prefers me to stay a bit longer to solve the question of the soul's origin, which I have been pondering, I would gratefully accept, as I doubt anyone else will solve it after I’m gone.’ His prediction was accurate. Anselm is often considered history’s greatest admirer and disciple of Augustine, mirroring Augustine's style—both poetically beautiful and intellectually brilliant—and his content, blending Christian thought with Platonic philosophy.

In 1093, Anselm was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. His tenure was tumultuous, marked by conflict with King William Rufus, who sought to control church revenues and resisted ecclesiastical authority. Anselm's opposition led to his exile in 1097. He was invited back by Henry I in 1100 but faced similar issues, resulting in another exile from 1103 to 1107. Despite these challenges, Anselm continued to write important works, such as Cur Deus Homo and De conceptu virginali. He died on 21 April 1109, was canonised in 1494, and named a Doctor of the Church in 1720.

Anselm’s motto is ‘faith seeking understanding’ (fides quaerens intellectum). Note that he does not aim to replace faith with understanding. For Anselm, faith is more about will than knowledge—it is love for God and the desire to follow God's will. He even calls mere belief without action ‘dead.’ He famously states, ‘I do not seek to understand so that I may believe, but I believe so that I may understand. For I also believe this: unless I believe, I shall not understand.’ Therefore, ‘faith seeking understanding’ means ‘an active love of God striving for deeper knowledge of God.’

St. Anselm describes the ontological argument in the Proslogion as follows:

‘[Even a] fool, when he hears of … a being than which nothing greater can be conceived … understands what he hears, and what he understands is in his understanding… And assuredly that, than which nothing greater can be conceived, cannot exist in the understanding alone. For suppose it exists in the understanding alone: then it can be conceived to exist in reality; which is greater… Therefore, if that, than which nothing greater can be conceived, exists in the understanding alone, the very being, than which nothing greater can be conceived, is one, than which a greater can be conceived. But obviously this is impossible. Hence, there is no doubt that there exists a being, than which nothing greater can be conceived, and it exists both in the understanding and in reality.’

The argument in this complex passage can be summarised as follows:

1. It is a conceptual truth that God is a being than which none greater can be imagined (i.e., the greatest possible being that can be imagined).

2. God exists as an idea in the mind.

3. A being that exists as an idea in the mind and in reality is greater than a being that exists only as an idea in the mind.

4. Thus, if God exists only as an idea in the mind, then we can imagine something greater than God (i.e., a greatest possible being that does exist).

5. But we cannot imagine something greater than God (it is a contradiction to suppose we can imagine a being greater than the greatest possible being that can be imagined).

6. Therefore, God exists.

   
   

The concept of ‘greatest’ is rooted in Platonic thought, where being and goodness are linked: something that exists is good to the extent that it exists. This existence is not binary but exists on a scale. For example, a unicorn exists as an idea, while a plant exists more fully as a living organism. Anselm describes God as the greatest conceivable being, meaning God has the highest degree of existence. God possesses absolute and unconditional being, unlike other things that exist conditionally. Anselm then moves to a deeper definition: God is not only greater than all things but also beyond our full understanding. God is not just the highest being in a hierarchy but represents the very idea of being itself.

Anselm argues that our ability to think and understand implies an awareness of an absolute standard of being, which must be real and not just a mental concept. This absolute being is God, who unites thought and existence. Therefore, God is unique and not comparable to anything else in the world, such as the idea of a perfect island. For Anselm, God is both the idea and the reality of absolute being.

In the Proslogion, Anselm aimed to present a single argument that would not only prove God's existence but also establish the various attributes Christians believe God possesses. The concept of ‘that than which nothing greater can be thought’ is incredibly fruitful. For instance, God must be omnipotent because if he were not, we could imagine a greater being. But since God is the greatest conceivable being, he must be omnipotent. Similarly, God must be just, self-existent, invulnerable to suffering, merciful, timelessly eternal, non-physical, non-composite, and so forth. Lacking any of these qualities would make him less than the greatest conceivable being, which is impossible.

However, Anselm's success in deriving numerous divine attributes through the ontological argument presents a challenge: he must demonstrate that these attributes are consistent with each other, meaning it is possible for one being to possess all of them. For example, there seems to be a conflict between justice and omnipotence. If God is perfectly just, he cannot lie. But if God is omnipotent, how can there be something he cannot do? Anselm's solution is to explain that omnipotence does not mean the ability to do everything; rather, it means possessing unlimited power. The ‘ability’ to lie is not truly a power but a weakness. Since God is omnipotent and has no weaknesses, omnipotence actually includes the inability to lie.

Anselm's contributions go beyond theological discourse; they invite us to contemplate our own existence and relationship with the divine. His arguments challenge us to see faith and reason not as opposing forces but as partners in the quest for understanding. By acknowledging God as the greatest conceivable being, we are reminded of our place in the grand design and the purpose imbued in our creation. This understanding should inspire a life dedicated to seeking deeper knowledge, fostering an active love of God, and embodying the virtues that reflect his perfection.