Ontological Argument Quiz

Which TWO things does the Ontological Argument rely on?

• Sense experience

• Having an idea of God

• Logical Reasoning

• The Bible

The Ontological Argument is...

• An A Priori proof of the existence of God

• An A Posteriori proof of the existence of God

• An A Priori criticism of the existence of God

• An A posteriori criticism of the existence of God

How does Anselm define God?

• the Almighty

• a supreme being possessing all possible perfections

• the greatest being

• that than which no greater can be conceived

What is the key distinction made by Anselm in his second Ontological Argument?

• Distinction between analytic and synthetic arguments

• Distinction between thought and reality

• Distinction between God and creation

• Distinction between contingent and necessary existence

What illustration does Gaunilo use in his argument?

• An island

• A unicorn

• A triangle

• God

What is Gaunilo's key point in his argument?

• That perfect islands exist

• That Anselm is making an error in moving from thought to reality

• That the Ontological Argument is successful in proving God

• That Anselm is wrong to use the idea of a necessary being

How does Kant describe Ontological Arguments?

• Analytic

• Synthetic

• Necessary

• Contingent

What does Kant mean by the phrase 'existence is not a predicate?'

• Things can have no existence yet possess other properties.

• There are only two routes to knowledge - the a priori and the a posteriori and the Ontological Argument is guilty of confusing the two.

• Existence is not about the person, it is a valid way of finishing your sentence and it does give extra information about that person.

• Ontological Arguments are wrong to treat existence as if it is an extra thing that something may or may not have.

What may be said to be an advantage of A priori arguments?

• They are probabilistic

• They rely on observation

• They offer certainty

• They are analytic

Which of these thinkers does NOT have a version of the Ontological Argument?

• Descartes

• Hume

• Anselm

• Malcolm