Saint Anselm: Blessy Myl A. Magrata Grade 11 HUMSS (Block A)

Saint Anselm
Blessy Myl A. Magrata

Grade 11 HUMSS (Block A)
ST. ANSELM
Saint Anselm as the greatest philosopher of the eleventh
century, Anselm of Canterbury was the author of some
dozen works whose originality and subtlety earned him the
title of “Father of Scholasticism.” Best known in the modern
era for his “Ontological Argument,” designed to prove God’s
existence, Anselm made significant contributions to
metaphysics, ethics, and philosophy of language.
Anselmo d'Aosta is the birth name of well-known Saint

Anselm of Canterbury. St. Anselm was born in Aosta, in the Piedmont region of the
kingdom of Burgundy, near the border with Lombardy. His family was noble but of
declining fortunes. Anselm remained at home until he was twenty-three; after the death
of his mother he quarrelled irrevocably with his father and left home, wandering for
some years before arriving at the Benedictine Abbey at Bec in Normandy. Impressed by
the abbey’s prior Lanfranc, who had a reputation as a scholar and teacher of dialectic,
Anselm joined the monastery as a novice in 1060. Such was his ability that in 1063 he
was elected prior and in 1078 abbot, a position he held until his elevation as archbishop
of Canterbury in 1093. While at Bec Anselm wrote his Monologion, Proslogion, and the
four philosophical dialogues De grammatico, De veritate, De libertate arbitrii, and De
casu Diaboli. While archbishop Anselm wrote his De incarnatione Verbi, Cur Deus
homo, De conceptu virginali, De processione Spiritus Sancti, and De concordia. Perhaps
from this time also date his fragmentary notes on power, ability, and possibility.
Anselm’s archepiscopate was marked by controversy with the English kings William
Rufus and Henry I over royal privileges and jurisdiction; Anselm spent the years from
1097 to 1100 and from 1103 to 1107 in exile. After a brief illness, Anselm died on April
21, 1109, in Canterbury, where he is interred in the Cathedral.
In Monologion was originally titled A Monologue on the Reason for Faith, Anselm
argues that even according to basic logic, the existence of God should be easily
discovered. He even goes so far as to say that "Anyone of even moderate intelligence
should be able to easily reason the existence of God."
After feeling that his first monologue was insufficient, Anselm extended his arguments
in the Proslogion, or the 'Discourse,' which is written as a direct discourse with God, in
which Anselm addresses the idea that one only needs to have the idea of God in one's
head to prove the existence of it. He argues that actually, even an atheist should be able
to arrive at the same conclusion, offering what has been called the "Ontological
Argument for the Existence of God."
When other abbots in the church read Anselm's works, there were many critics, most
notably a man named Gaunilo who wrote a rebuttal called "For the Fool," which offers a
parody argument that there must be an ideal island somewhere which meets a long list
of arbitrary qualities. In response, Anselm wrote the Responsio. His argument is that
Gaunilo misunderstood the argument entirely. Anselm's rebuttal of the island argument
is that the logic only works for the superlatives.
The four philosophical dialogues De Veritate (On Truth), De Libertate Arbitrii (On
Freedom of Choice), De Casu Diaboli (On the Fall of the Devil), and De Grammatico.
First one is De Veritate is concerned not merely with the truth of statements but with
correctness in will, action, and essence as well. Second, De Libertate Arbitrii elaborates
Anselm's reasoning on correctness with regard to free will. Third, De Casu Diaboli,
Anselm further considers the case of the fallen angels, which serves to discuss the case
of rational agents in general. Lastly, De Grammatico deals with eliminating various
paradoxes arising from the grammar of Latin nouns and adjectives by examining the
syllogisms involved to ensure the terms in the premises agree in meaning and not
merely expression.
While other works like Cur Deus Homo ("Why God was a Man") It takes the form of a
dialogue between Anselm and Boso, one of his students.[195] Its core is a purely
rational argument for the necessity of the Christian mystery of atonement, the belief
that Jesus's crucifixion was necessary to atone for mankind's sin. De Fide Trinitatis et de
Incarnatione Verbi Contra Blasphemias Ruzelini ("On Faith in the Trinity and on the
Incarnation of the Word Against the Blasphemies of Roscelin") It defended Lanfranc
and Anselm from association with the supposedly tritheist heresy espoused by Roscelin
of Compiègne, as well as arguing in favour of Trinitarianism and universals. De
Conceptu Virginali et de Originali Peccato ("On the Virgin Conception and Original Sin")
Although Anselm denied belief in Mary's Immaculate Conception, his thinking laid two
principles which formed the groundwork for that dogma's development. This is the
extend of Cer Deus Homo. De Processione Spiritus Sancti Contra Graecos ("On the
Procession of the Holy Spirit Against the Greeks"), a recapitulation of Anselm's
treatment of the subject at the Council of Bari. He discussed the Trinity first by stating
that human beings could not know God from Himself but only from analogy. De
Concordia Praescientiae et Praedestinationis et Gratiae Dei cum Libero Arbitrio ("On the
Harmony of Foreknowledge and Predestination and the Grace of God with Free
Choice") Its treatment of free will relies on Anselm's earlier works, but goes into greater
detail as to the ways in which there is no actual incompatibility or paradox created by
the divine attributes.
Most of Anselm’s work systematically reflects on the content of Christian doctrine:

Trinity, Incarnation, the procession of the Holy Spirit, original sin, the fall of Lucifer,
attributes, the nature of sin, etc. He called this reflective activity ‘meditation’ and also,
in a famous phrase, “faith in search of understanding” (fides quaerens intellectum).

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Saint Anselm: Blessy Myl A. Magrata Grade 11 HUMSS (Block A)

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Saint Anselm

Blessy Myl A. Magrata

Anselmo d'Aosta is the birth name of well-known Saint

Most of Anselm’s work systematically reflects on the content of Christian doctrine:

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