The Arguments About the Existence of God from the Monologion

Abstract

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) is a well-known author in the History of Philosophy for having developed, in his treatise Proslogion, a rational argument about the existence of God, known by many as an ontological argument. However, about a year before the elaboration of the Proslogion’s single argument, the author formulated four arguments, present in his Monologion, in which, using an exclusively rational methodology – sola ratione – he intends, solely, through the chaining of necessary reasons, show the reasonableness of the existence of an extremely great and unique being that is the reason for the existence of all things. This article, in addition to presenting and discussing the author’s formulations, intends to investigate the possible theoretical sources that supported Anselmo’s argumentative construction, showing that, in addition to the undeniable Augustinian inspiration, admitted by Anselmo, the author responds to the expectations of an understanding of religious problems, always more attached to reason, something very characteristic of its cultural context.