Anselm’s Cosmological Argument

Anselm seeks to develop the universe of a greatest being, i. e. deity. He approaches this task non via our experience of the universe, entirely rather attempts to explain it solely based upon reason. Anselm attempts to prove the live virtuoso(a)nce of divinity by providing us with a logical explanation, based upon our understanding, definition, and necessity of God. It is unimagin up to(p) for God not to pull round. There is a certain nature with and by means of which everything that is follows, Anselm explains, is caused to hold up by something.Everything that is, populates by sexual morality of something, and slide fastener is able to exist by dint of nothing. The underlie assumption here is that things do not exist by themselves for thither is no need for their being. Leading to conclude that it is unlikely that anything at for each one is able to exist because of nothing, and that nothing should exist because of something. Building upon foregoing argument, Anselm concludes that whatever is does not exist just with something. Since, according to him, this premise is legitimate and since, as pointed out earlier in his argument, everything that is exists either by dint of and through itself or through something, there mustiness be one, or many, beings though which on the entire things that atomic number 18 exist. Our origination and the existence of everything there is, thence, must be explained by a virtue of a higher being, or some(prenominal) of them. Anselm identifies and explores several possibilities of existence of a higher being, or beings.He points out that there may be several beings, rather than one, that are the net cause of everything that exists, and presents one with his critical abridgment of such idea. Anselm argues that if there is to a greater extent than one of such beings then they themselves must exist either through (a) one being, (b) one by one through itself, or (c) mutually through one another. If, he states, these beings exist through one supreme being, then all things that exist grassnot exist through more than one being. Following this premise, Anselm concludes that all things that exist must therefore exist through this one supreme being.If, however, there are many beings, which exist separately and each through itself, then there must be a certain military group or property of existing through self, by which they are able to exist. Building upon this premise, Anselm goes on to explain that it is because of this contingent power or property that each of these beings is able to exist. Thereby concluding that these beings exist by virtue of one greater power, without which they cannot exist. at one time again we are guts to the same argument that merely one being can exist, for plurality does not explain itself.Lastly, a third option proposed by Anselm deals with beings existing mutually through one another. He argues that such conception is contrary to reason. F or, it is irrational that anything should exist through a being on which it confers existence. In other words, there cannot be a being that is a giver and a taker. That, which exists by its own virtue and is however dependent on itself for existence. Taking all of the arguments and points stated above, Anselm concludes that there can only be one greatest being, i. e. God, and it is through him that everything that is exists.If everything that is, exists by virtue of something, and nothing is able to exist through nothing, then God simply cannot be conceived not to exist. God is that, which alone exists in the greatest and highest period of all and nothing greater can be conceived. For, everything that exists, exists through this greatest being, but it alone exists through itself. One setting of Anselms argument that stands out in particular is a premise upon which the whole argument is based. Explicitly, Everything that is, exists either through1 something, or through nothing.Bu t nothing exists through nothing. For it is altogether unsufferable that anything should not exist by virtue of something. This, he holds to be the self-evident truth. Once again, the underlying assumption here is that things do not exist through themselves for there is no need for their existence. Such things therefore cannot be the cause of their own existence. Therefore, it must exist by virtue of a greater being. BIBLIOGRAPHY S. D. Deane, (Trans. ), St. Anselm, Basic Writings (Second Ed. ), La Salle, Illinois Open Court Publishing Company, 1994.