TWO ARGUMENTS of ST. ANSELM 1. in Proslogium II, St. Anselm
APPENDIX TWO ARGUMENTS OF ST. ANSELM 1. In Proslogium II, St. Anselm argues as follows: And assuredly that than which no greater being 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. 1 I shall take "exists in the understanding alone" to mean "is logically possible but not actual", and I shall take "a being than which no greater can be conceived" to mean "a being than which no greater being is logically possible", i.e., "a maximally great being". Moreover, I shall take "[If X] exists in the understanding alone, [then] it can be conceived to exist in reality, which is greater" to mean "If X is merely logically possible, then it would be greater if it were actual"; and I shall take it that the bearer of the predicate "would be greater if it were actual" is, at least, a logically possible object. Given these interpretations, Anselm's argument can be restated as follows: (1) If there were a logically possible object which is a maximally great being and it were merely logically possible (rather than both logically possible and actual), then it would be greater if it were actual.
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