Abstract

It is the goal of this study not to examine the logic of the Argument, but rather to determine the motive of the Argument's author. It is hoped that such a determination of Anselm's intentions will prove useful as a prolegomena to the larger task of assessing the logic of the Proslogion Argument. ;After an exegesis of the text of the Proslogion, showing this mixture of philosophy and theology, interpretations of the Argument are presented. In particular, the philosophical interpretations of Rene Descartes and Immanuel Kant and the theological interpretations of Karl Barth are explored. The problems with either a purely philosophical or a purely theological reading of the Argument are summarized. ;Finally an extended definition of philosophical theology is presented and the Proslogion Argument is shown to be an example of this definition. Some closing remarks are made about the relevance of the Argument to a believer. ;In order to establish this conclusion, this study begins with an examination of the intellectual background of Anselm's thought. In particular, the influence of Augustine is explored. It is shown that this background to Anselm's thought combined reason and faith, philosophy and theology, in an indifferentiated, ambiguous manner. ;This study seeks to understand the Proslogion Argument of Anselm in terms of its author's intentions. It is the conclusion of this study that Anselm's intentions cannot be properly understood as purely philosophical or purely theological. Any attempt to understand his intentions in either of these ways is reductionist in that it ignores his background and the text of the Proslogion. This study argues that, in fact, Anselm's Proslogion Argument is an example of philosophical theology