The ontological proof for the existence of God (really "proofs" or perhaps "arguments," as there are various versions) has popped up in the blogs a few times recently: e.g. Ophelia Benson, Josh Rosenau, Jerry Coyne. You've probably heard this one; it was most famously formulated by Saint Anselm, and most famously trashed by Immanuel "Existence is not a predicate" Kant. A cartoon version of it would be something like
God is by definition a perfect being.
It is more perfect to exist than to not exist.
Therefore, God exists.
Now, this is a really cartoonish version of the argument -- it's not meant to be taken seriously. This kind of ontological proof is a favorite whipping-argument for atheists, just because it seems so prima facie silly. Just ask Jesus and Mo.
This kind of mockery is a little unfair (although only a little). What's important to realize is that the ...
