Proslogion

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 date1078
TextProslogion at Wikisource

The Proslogion (Latin: Proslogium, lit. 'Discourse') is a prayer (or meditation) written by the medieval cleric Saint Anselm of Canterbury between 1077 and 1078. In each chapter, Anselm juxtaposes contrasting attributes of God to resolve apparent contradictions in Christian theology. This meditation is considered the first-known philosophical formulation that sets out an ontological argument for the existence of God.

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

Ontological arguments

The Proslogion marked what would be the beginning of Saint Anselm's famous and highly controversial ontological arguments for the existence of God. Anselm's first and most famous argument is found at the end of Chapter II, and it is followed by his second argument. Opinions concerning Anselm's twin ontological arguments widely differ, and have differed since the Proslogion was first conceived.

First argument

There are various reconstructions of Anselm's first argument. Scott H. Moore's analysis is as follows:

Second argument

Donald Viney renders Anselm's second argument as follows:

  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.

Formal Reconstruction in a set theoretic form (by Gyorgy Gereby)

Source:

Vocabulary for the argument in a set logical form

  • R – not empty set of mind-independent real things
  • S – not empty set of (individual) people  
  • P – set of sentences or propositions
  • I – set of mental contents (represent the meaning of sentences of P)
  • T = S XP --> I – is the function of “thinking of”, which assigns to sentences uttered by persons an intelligible element i of I
  • C = I --> R correspondence-function, which assigns to certain elements of I certain elements of R
  • V = { i | i ∈ I, ∃ r. r ∈ R, r = C (i)} – Set of mental things that have a counterpart in R
  • U = I \ V – set of things that do not have a counterpart in R
  • b ∈ S – individual name of the fool
  • g – individual name for god

The Argument of Anselm

T (b, ‘

~ ∃r. r = C (g) ‘)

 The Fool says in his heart that there is no

God.

 Existential

premiss

g = def !x. ~ ∃ y. y ≥ x God is the only one thing greater than

which cannot be conceived.

 Definition,

stipulating

uniqueness

∀x. x ∈ P & ∃y. T(y, ‘x’) ⊇

x ∈ I

 What is said and understood is in the mind. Assumption,

on T def.,

g ∈ I What is understood by the Fool of the

definition is in his intellect.
∀ i. ∀i*. i* ∈ U, i ∈ V, i > i* Whatever is in the intellect and also in

reality is greater than that which is solely

in the intellect.

 def.
g ∈ V lemma
g ∉ V g is only in the intellect. (‘God is only a concept’ – however, there is a god-concept) Assumption

for the

reductio ad

absurdum

g ∉ V → g ∈ U ∀x. x ∈ V V x ∈ U
V ≠ Ø V is not empty. Assumption
∃ g*. g* ∈ V > g ∈ U The God which is an element of V is a

greater thing than God in the mind.
~ ∃x. x ≥ g & ∃x. x > g God is the greater-than-which-can-not-be-conceived and God is not the greater-than-which-can-not-be-conceived. Contradiction. Conclusion of the reduction.
g ∈ V Lemma Q.E.D Conclusion of

lemma

∀v. ∃r. r = C (v) Applying the character of V Definition
∃r. r = C (g) Q.E.D.: God is in the intellect in such a way

that he has a counterpart in reality.
‘C(g)’ ∈ R Lemma: God exists in reality. Rule of

detachment

Supplement

Anselm writes in Chapter XI that "you [God] are not only that than which a greater cannot be conceived, but you are a being greater than can be conceived."

Chapters

Translations

There are different translations of the Proslogion.

Chapter I

Excerpt:Psalms 27:8

Original translation, from Latin

Up now, slight man! flee, for a little while, your occupations; hide yourself, for a time, from your disturbing thoughts. Cast aside, now, your burdensome cares, and put away your toilsome business. Yield room for some little time to God; and rest for a little time in him. Enter the inner chamber of your mind; shut out all thoughts save that of God, and such as can aid you in seeking him; close your door and seek him. Speak now, my whole heart! speak now to God, saying, I seek your face; your face, Lord, will I seek (Psalms xxvii. 8). And come you now, O Lord my God, teach my heart where and how it may seek you, where and how it may find you.

— translated by Sidney Norton Deane, 1903
Translation:

Modern translation

Come on now little man, get away from your worldly occupations for a while, escape from your tumultuous thoughts. Lay aside your burdensome cares and put off your laborious exertions. Give yourself over to God for a little while, and rest for a while in Him. Enter into the cell of your mind, shut out everything except God and whatever helps you to seek Him once the door is shut. Speak now, my heart, and say to God, "I seek your face; your face, Lord, I seek.

— translated by David Burr, 1996

Editions

References

  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. ↑ Gereby, Gyorgy (George) (2009). "What Anselm and Gaunilo told each other". Prze glad Tomistyczny (15): 1–22.
  5. ↑ Psalms 27:8
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ Burr, David. 1996. Anselm On God's Existence. The Internet Medieval Sourcebook. New York: Fordham University. ch. 1.