ABSTRACT

There have been many different versions of the Ontological Argument throughout the history of philosophy, but the first, and most discussed, is that presented in the eleventh century by St Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, in his Proslogion. Anselm was born in Aosta in Italy. He became a monk and was later appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. As much a theologian as a philosopher, Anselm is credited with putting forward the first version of the Ontological Argument for God's existence. The Ontological Argument is ingenious. It attempts to prove the existence of God merely from the idea or definition of God as 'that than which no greater can be conceived'. It would be extraordinary if the definition of a word could prove the existence of anything beyond itself. Fortunately, it does not. Thomas Aquinas was born in Roccasecca in Italy. He studied the works of Aristotle at the University of Naples and then became a Dominican friar.