
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
I. Introduction I. Introduction
-
II. Formulation of the Argument II. Formulation of the Argument
-
III. The First Premise III. The First Premise
-
IV. The Second Premise IV. The Second Premise
-
V. The Third Premise V. The Third Premise
-
VI. The Conclusion VI. The Conclusion
-
VII. Validity of the Argument VII. Validity of the Argument
-
VIII. Credibility of the Third Premise VIII. Credibility of the Third Premise
-
IX. The Nature of Actuality IX. The Nature of Actuality
-
X. Conclusion X. Conclusion
-
Postscripts to “Anselm and Actuality” Postscripts to “Anselm and Actuality”
-
A. Impossible Worlds A. Impossible Worlds
-
B. The Ambiguity of Shiftiness B. The Ambiguity of Shiftiness
-
C. Scepticism Revivified? C. Scepticism Revivified?
-
D. The Anthropic Principle D. The Anthropic Principle
-
E. Terminological Actualism E. Terminological Actualism
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cite
Abstract
Lewis demonstrates the infeasibility of attempting a nonmodal reformulation of Anslem's ontological argument. The key premise in Anselm's famous argument is the claim that “Something exists in the understanding, than which nothing greater can be conceived.” Lewis argues that the apparent credibility of the most promising, nonmodal rendering of this premise – viz. “There is an understandable being x, such that for no world w and being y does the greatness of y in w exceed the greatness of x in the actual world” – depends entirely on the illusion that the actuality of our world renders it “radically different from all other worlds – special in a way that makes it a fitting place of greatest greatness.” This illusion becomes obvious once we accept perhaps the most notable claim in this paper, viz. Lewis's indexical account of actuality. The substantive postscript includes an important retraction (viz. that impossible worlds do not exist) and several interesting discussions (e.g., concerning the anthropic principle and the specter of skepticism).
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 3 |
November 2022 | 6 |
December 2022 | 4 |
February 2023 | 9 |
March 2023 | 1 |
April 2023 | 4 |
May 2023 | 5 |
June 2023 | 9 |
July 2023 | 2 |
August 2023 | 2 |
September 2023 | 6 |
October 2023 | 3 |
November 2023 | 9 |
December 2023 | 5 |
January 2024 | 2 |
February 2024 | 7 |
March 2024 | 4 |
April 2024 | 4 |
May 2024 | 8 |
June 2024 | 3 |
July 2024 | 10 |
August 2024 | 3 |
September 2024 | 6 |
October 2024 | 5 |
February 2025 | 4 |
March 2025 | 3 |
April 2025 | 5 |
May 2025 | 1 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.