I’ve done some reading on Anselm’s Ontological Argument - and the various counters etc - but have some questions that I have not seen answered anywhere - which suggests either I am a genius in raising them or, almost 100% more likely, I have missed something…
Anselm’s OA basically defines God as:
A being greater than which nothing can be conceived
Right - my questions…
I understand creation as implicitly indicating a want.
e.g. you build a chair because you want somewhere to sit.
Noone creates without an underlying want.
A being who creates is thus a being that wants.
A greater being than this would be one that has no such want - it has all it needs already.
The God of Anselm’s OA is thus not the God that supposedly created our World/Universe etc - as the Creator-God must have had a want - and is thus not the “greatest”.
Is there anything flawed with this assessment - that the God of the OA is not the same Creator-God of Christianity?
Secondly:
The definition merely says that God is that which nothing can be conceived of as greater.
What does this actually tell us about “God”?
Is this not merely equating “God” with “everything” - or with “existence” itself?
Is this label of “God” actually adding anything to our understanding?
Now I’m presuming there is something obvious I’ve missed - or possibly something I am just not aware of.
Any replies would be welcome - even if just a link to where this has been discussed / answered before.
Thanks.