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Single Idea 17178
[filed under theme 28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / a. Ontological Proof
]
Full Idea
God, or substance consisting of infinite attributes, each one of which expresses eternal and infinite essence, necessarily exists. If this be denied, conceive that God does not exist. But then his essence does not involve existence, which is absurd.
Gist of Idea
Denial of God is denial that his essence involves existence, which is absurd
Source
Baruch de Spinoza (The Ethics [1675], I Pr 11)
Book Ref
Spinoza,Benedict de: 'Ethics', ed/tr. White,WH/Stirling,AH [Wordsworth 2001], p.10
A Reaction
Not a very powerful version of the ontological argument. Gaunilo offered an island which has existence as part of its essence, which would pass the same test.
The
37 ideas
with the same theme
[concept of God implies necessary existence]:
234
|
We couldn't discuss the non-existence of the One without knowledge of it
[Plato]
|
13227
|
Being is better than not-being
[Aristotle]
|
2633
|
Epicurus saw that gods must exist, because nature has imprinted them on human minds
[Epicurus, by Cicero]
|
20810
|
Rational is better than non-rational; the cosmos is supreme, so it is rational
[Zeno of Citium]
|
2634
|
It seems clear to me that we have an innate idea of the divine
[Cicero]
|
21241
|
Even the fool can hold 'a being than which none greater exists' in his understanding
[Anselm]
|
21242
|
If that than which a greater cannot be thought actually exists, that is greater than the mere idea
[Anselm]
|
21244
|
Conceiving a greater being than God leads to absurdity
[Anselm]
|
21243
|
An existing thing is even greater if its non-existence is inconceivable
[Anselm]
|
1421
|
A perfection must be independent and unlimited, and the necessary existence of Anselm's second proof gives this
[Malcolm on Anselm]
|
21245
|
The word 'God' can be denied, but understanding shows God must exist
[Anselm]
|
21246
|
Guanilo says a supremely fertile island must exist, just because we can conceive it
[Anselm]
|
21247
|
Nonexistence is impossible for the greatest thinkable thing, which has no beginning or end
[Anselm]
|
3639
|
Necessary existence is a property which is uniquely part of God's essence
[Descartes]
|
3640
|
Possible existence is a perfection in the idea of a triangle
[Descartes]
|
2268
|
One idea leads to another, but there must be an initial idea that contains the reality of all the others
[Descartes]
|
2274
|
The idea of God in my mind is like the mark a craftsman puts on his work
[Descartes]
|
2287
|
Existence and God's essence are inseparable, like a valley and a mountain, or a triangle and its properties
[Descartes]
|
2288
|
I cannot think of a supremely perfect being without the supreme perfection of existence
[Descartes]
|
17169
|
Some things makes me conceive of it as a thing whose essence requires its existence
[Spinoza]
|
21856
|
Spinoza says a substance of infinite attributes cannot fail to exist
[Spinoza, by Lord]
|
17178
|
Denial of God is denial that his essence involves existence, which is absurd
[Spinoza]
|
21858
|
God is being as such, and you cannot conceive of the non-existence of being
[Spinoza, by Lord]
|
4820
|
God must necessarily exist, because no reason can be given for his non-existence
[Spinoza]
|
2116
|
The concept of an existing thing must contain more than the concept of a non-existing thing
[Leibniz]
|
2113
|
God alone (the Necessary Being) has the privilege that He must exist if He is possible
[Leibniz]
|
19325
|
God is the first reason of things; our experiences are contingent, and contain no necessity
[Leibniz]
|
3889
|
God's existence is either necessary or impossible
[Leibniz, by Scruton]
|
15633
|
We establish unification of the Ideal by the ontological proof, deriving being from abstraction of thinking
[Hegel]
|
4188
|
Hegel's entire philosophy is nothing but a monstrous amplification of the ontological proof
[Schopenhauer on Hegel]
|
6913
|
God's existence cannot be separated from essence and concept, which can only be thought as existing
[Feuerbach]
|
3307
|
Frege put forward an ontological argument for the existence of numbers
[Frege, by Benardete,JA]
|
1422
|
God's existence is either necessary or impossible, and no one has shown that the concept of God is contradictory
[Malcolm]
|
20704
|
A possible world contains a being of maximal greatness - which is existence in all worlds
[Plantinga, by Davies,B]
|
3308
|
In the ontological argument a full understanding of the concept of God implies a contradiction in 'There is no God'
[Benardete,JA]
|
4066
|
It seems that 'exists' could sometimes be a predicate
[Crane]
|
19653
|
The ontological proof of a necessary God ensures a reality external to the mind
[Meillassoux]
|