1. Criticisms of the Ontological Argument

2. Starter
Briefly outline Anslems’ first argument

3. Anselm v Gaunilo
Students research Gaunilo’s criticism of Anslem and outline both the criticism and response by Anselm.
Class members will present and argue both sides of the debate.

4. Gaunillo’s criticism: The ‘perfect island’
I can conceive of an island than which no greater island can be thought.
Such an island must possess all perfections.
Existence is a perfection.
Therefore the island exists!

5. Plenary
Summarise (bullet point) Gaunilo’s criticism and Anslem’s response.

6. Anselm’s response
Gaunilo is saying you cannot define something into being.
He is saying that God is the greatest actual being and the island is the greatest actual island
Anslem is actually saying God is the greatest POSSIBLE being.
This argument applies only to God.

7. Auquinas rejects the ontological argument
There is no agreed definition of God e.g. Some people think he has a body (Aquinas thinks this is absurd).
We cannot agree on a definition but even if we could, we have no way of knowing whether that definition is correct