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Full Idea
Even the fool must be convinced that a being than which none greater can be thought exists at least in his understanding, since when he hears this he understands it, and whatever is understood is in the understanding.
Gist of Idea
Even the fool can hold 'a being than which none greater exists' in his understanding
Source
Anselm (Proslogion [1090], Ch 2)
Book Ref
'The Existence of God', ed/tr. Hick,John [Macmillan 1964], p.26
A Reaction
Psalm 14.1: 'The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God'. But how does the fool interpret the words, if he has limited imagination? He might get no further than an attractive film star. He would need prompting to think of a spiritual being.
Related Ideas
Idea 21242 If that than which a greater cannot be thought actually exists, that is greater than the mere idea [Anselm]
Idea 21243 An existing thing is even greater if its non-existence is inconceivable [Anselm]
4748 | Anselm of Canterbury identified truth with God [Anselm, by Engel] |
1420 | Anselm's first proof fails because existence isn't a real predicate, so it can't be a perfection [Malcolm on Anselm] |
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] |
1421 | A perfection must be independent and unlimited, and the necessary existence of Anselm's second proof gives this [Malcolm on Anselm] |
21243 | An existing thing is even greater if its non-existence is inconceivable [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] |