St. Anselm: Basic Writings Chapter Summary & Analysis - Monologium, Chapters I - VI Summary

Monologium, Chapters I - VI Summary and Analysis

The Monologium is much longer than the Proslogium and must be split up into parts. Chapters I - VI describe the relationship of God to His existence. In the preface, Anselm argues that His argument, as in the Proslogium, is faith seeking understanding. His arguments will be consistent with Christian tradition. Chapters one and two prefigure the ontological argument, arguing that a being which is "best, and greatest and highest of all existing beings" must exist. The argument here, however, is importantly different. God must exist because He is the standard by which all other things and the properties of those things are judged. Suppose that two objects both possess goodness, but we do not know which is better. When we compare them, we must implicitly rely on some standard or ideal of goodness. This ideal of goodness must be perfect goodness, otherwise it would not be an ideal. And...
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