Title

Richard Rufus's reformulations of Anselm's Proslogion argument

Authors

Richard DeWitt, Fairfield UniversityFollow
R. James Long, Fairfield UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Article Version

Post-print

Publication Date

2007

Abstract

In a Sentences Commentary written about 1250 the Franciscan Richard Rufus subjects Anselm's argument for God's existence in his Proslogion to the most trenchant criticism since Gaunilon wrote his response on behalf of the "fool." Anselm's argument is subtle but sophistical, claims Rufus, because he fails to distinguish between signification and supposition. Rufus therefore offers five reformulations of the Anselmian argument, which we restate in modem formal logic and four of which we claim are valid, the fifth turning on a possible scribal error. Rufus's final conclusion is that the formulation in Proslogion, chapter 3, is convincing, but not that of chapter 2.

Comments

Copyright Fordham University 2007

Publication Title

International Philosophical Quarterly

Repository Citation

DeWitt, Richard and Long, R. James, "Richard Rufus's reformulations of Anselm's Proslogion argument" (2007). Philosophy Faculty Publications. 2.
https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/philosophy-facultypubs/2

Published Citation

DeWitt, Richard, and James R. Long. 2007. Richard Rufus's reformulations of Anselm's Proslogion argument. International Philosophical Quarterly 47 (187), 329-347.

Peer Reviewed