Theism is the doctrine of an extra-mundane, personal God, the creator, preserver, and governor of the world. The design of all arguments on this subject is to show that the facts around us, and the facts of consciousness, necessitate the assumption of the exist- ence of such a Being. The arguments usually urged on this sub- ject are the Ontological, the Cosmological, the Teleological, and the Moral.
§ 1. The Ontological Argument.
This is a metaphysical a priori argument. It is designed to show that the real objective existence of God is involved in the very idea of such a Being. It is commonly made to include all arguments which are not a posteriori ; that is, which do not pro- ceed from effect to cause. It has, therefore, been presented in different forms. The principal of which are the following ', —
1. That in which it is presented by Anselm in his " Monolo- gium," and more fully and definitely in his " Proslogium." The argument is substantially this. That which exists in re is greater than that which exists only in the mind. We have an idea of an infinitely perfect Being ; but actual existence is included, in infi- nite perfection. Because, if actual existence be a perfection, and if God is not actually existent, then we can conceive of a Being greater than God. His words ^ are, " Et certe id, quo majus cogi- tari nequit, non potest esse in intellectu solo. Si enim vel in solo
intellectu est, potest cogitari esse et in re, quod majus est
Existit efgo procul dubio aliquid, quo majus cogitari non valet, et in intellectu et in re." This argument assumes that existence is of the nature of a perfection. It adds, however, nothing to the idea. The idea in itself may be complete, although there be no objective existence to answer to it. Anselm regarded the negation of the existence of God as impossible ; for God is the highest truth, the highest being, the highest good, of whom all other truth and good are the manifestations. Necessity of existence is included, accorcHng to this doctrine, in tlie idea of absolute perfection. In
1 Proslogium ii. Optra^ Paris. 1721, p. 30, b.