One of the most digestible, yet enthralling Medieval philosopher-theologians is St. Anselm, author of the Proslogian. Originally titled Faith Seeking Understanding, the treatise seeks to actively engage with God in a manner that both respects the vastness of His power and attempts to begin to internalize Truth in a rational way.
The objective of the Proslogian is singular: demonstrate a philosophical proof for the existence of God. Anselm’s reasoning goes something like this –
Imagine, in your mind, “that which nothing greater can exist.” Now, this imaginative concept is real, in the same way an architect can imagine the layout of a house before she builds it, but it is not real in the same way the house is.
So we can say that “that which nothing greater can exist” exists in our understanding.
But, we can think of something greater than that.
How about, “that which nothing greater can exist, that actually exists?”, that is to say, the architect’s actual house?
Since the concept of an unsurpassable greatness exists, then it follows that an unsurpassable greatness would exist outside of a mere concept, since it is, by its definition, supremely great.
Anselm, in later chapters, expands upon this argument, claiming that, since God is so powerful, God is actually “something greater than can be thought.” This distinction is crucial for understanding Anselm’s relationship to Truth. Anselm, in trying to understand his faith, does not make the critical error of having claimed to understand God. Anselm admits that the human mind is incapable of such a feat. In his humility, Anselm spends a whole chapter (16 in my edition) praising God for His supreme power and “unapproachable light.”
My hope is that this simple blog post has assisted your understanding of Anselm’s proof and perhaps even aided your understanding of your personal relationship with God. As we begin this new year, let us ask God for abundant blessings in our experiences in this world, knowing that each may point to Him if we only look at the world properly.
Good Saint Anselm,
You who sought to know your Father more abundantly, come, help us poor pilgrims in our wanderings upon this earth. Give us minds that seek to know without crossing the limits of what God has deemed appropriate. Help us to never stray far from You.
Amen.
Catholicism Rekindled 