Proving that Satan Really Exists: St. Anselm’s Ontological Argument in Reverse
Here’s an interesting mental exercise for you:
1. Let’s define Satan as the worst thought you can think. So anything bad, evil, disagreeable, wrong… all that stuff is “Satan” or “Satanic”. He’s the absolute most vile, ugly, scary creature you can imagine, with fangs, horns, and lots of eyeballs.
2. Ok, are you picturing it? Can you conceive of this idea? Now in your mind, take this concept a bit further by imagining that it exists in reality. This Satan that exists in reality is definitely worse then the Satan that exists in your mind only, right?
3. Since the Satan that really exists is worse, only it is the real Satan. The other Satan you were thinking of, the one that only exists in your mind, isn’t the real Satan (because he’s not as bad as the one that exists in reality.)
4. Therefore, Satan exists in reality.
***There seems to be some gap in logic between steps 3 and 4; I can’t quite tell right now whether it is my fault or St. Anselm’s. He moves a little slower than me, but I think the logical process is the same. What do you think?***
