(Originally written January 11, 2007 in Book 7)
Philosophy of Religion
John Hick
Ch. 2 Grounds for belief in God
The Ontological Argument
-First developed by Anselm of Canterbury
In the Ontological argument the concept of God is "a being that which nothing greater can be conceived" (Hick, 16).
First form of the argument
Does God (as Anselm's concept) exist in the mind or in reality? Perfection in the most perfect form must exist in reality because if it only exists in the mind we can conceive of something more perfect as that it exists.
Second form of the argument
God is infinitely perfect and this is not limited in or by time. Since he is unlimited in this way he could never have come into or cease to exist. Thus, God's existence is necessary.
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