Proslogion
Illuminated initial from the beginning of the prologue to Anselm's Monologion, late 11th century
AuthorAnselm of Canterbury
Original titleFides quaerens intellectum
LanguageMedieval Latin
Publication date
1078
TextProslogion at Wikisource

The Proslogion (Latin: Proslogium, lit. 'Discourse') is a prayer (or meditation), written by the medieval cleric Saint Anselm of Canterbury in 1077–1078, serving to reflect on the attributes of God in order to explain how God can possess seemingly contradictory qualities. This meditation is considered to be the first-known philosophical formulation that sets out the ontological argument for the existence of God.

The original title for this discourse was to be Faith Seeking Understanding.[1]

The ontological argument

The Proslogion marked what would be the beginning of Saint Anselm's famous and highly controversial ontological arguments for the existence of God. The first and most famous argument of his can be found at the end of chapter 2, followed by his second argument shortly after. While opinions concerning Anselm's twin ontological arguments widely differ—and have differed since the Proslogion was first conceived—there is a general consensus that the argument is most convincing to Anselm's intended audience, i.e. Christian believers who seek a rational basis for their belief in God.

First argument

There are various reconstructions of Anselm's first argument, such as Dr. Scott H. Moore's analyses, for example:[2]

Objection

Philosopher Immanuel Kant gave an objection to the argument, although it would be toward ontological arguments in general, rather than at Anselm specifically. In fact, it is actually unclear as to whether Kant had Anselm in mind at all. Kant's objection famously states that "existence is not a predicate." If Kant were considering Anselm's work in his analysis, he certainly left it up to the reader to grasp the applicability of the objection. One possible interpretation is to say that, because existence is not a predicate, a being that exists could not be said to be greater than one that does not exist; they would be equal.

Second argument

Just as the first, Anselm's second ontological argument can be formulated in numerous ways. Viney, for instance, renders the second argument as follows:[3]

  1. "God" means "that than which nothing greater can be conceived."
  2. The idea of God is not contradictory.
  3. That which can be thought of as not existing (a contingent being) is not as great as that which cannot be thought of as not existing (a necessary being).
  4. Therefore, to think of God as possibly not existing (as contingent) is not to think of the greatest conceivable being. It is a contradiction to think of the greatest conceivable being as nonexistent.
  5. Therefore, God exists.

Supplement

Anselm continues in Chapter 11 that (addressing God) "you are not only that than which a greater cannot be conceived, but you are a being greater than can be conceived."

Chapters

Editions

References

Wikisource has original text related to this article:
  1. ^ Logan, Ian. 2009. Reading Anselm’s Proslogion: The History of Anselm’s Arguments and its Significance Today. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing. p. 85.
  2. ^ Moore, Scott H. "Proslogion." Scott Moore. Waco, TX: Bayler University. Archived 12 May 1997. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  3. ^ Dowbrowski, Daniel. 2006. Rethinking the Ontological Argument: A Neoclassical Theistic Response. Ch. 1. p. 14. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-86369-8.
  4. ^ St. Anselm. 1078 [1903]. "Exhortation of the mind to the contemplation of God." Ch. 1 in Proslogium (1926 reprint ed.), translated by S. N. Deane. Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Company.
  5. ^ Burr, David. 1996. Anselm On God's Existence. The Internet Medieval Sourcebook. New York: Fordham University. ch. 1.
  6. ^ Psalms 27:8
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