Fregean Interpretation of Anselm's Ontological Argument

Abstract

This essay is concerned with an attempt to provide an interpretation of Anselm's ontological argument which both makes an argument deductively valid and elucidates Anselm's terminology. Following the exposition of a deductively valid argument which uses Anselm's concepts, it is attempted to elucidate those concepts by using the concepts from Frege's philosophy of language. Thus interpreted argument is then criticized, and consequently it's possible defense is provided, with a help of Zalta's ontology. In the end an interpretation of Anselm's ontological argument is given which makes it deductively valid and which, instead of Anselm's original terminology, as a consequence of accepting Zalta's ontology uses slightly modified Frege's terminology.