La distinción in intellectu / in re en la prueba ontológica y en Bhartrihari

Abstract

The article starts presenting the famous “ontological proof” of the existence of God imagined by Saint Anselm, which pretends to derive the real existence of God from His mere notion. Then the article develops the refutation of that proof by Gaunilo, Saint Thomas and Kant. The refutation of the proof is based on the opposition between an existence in intellect (in intellectu) and an existence in reality (in re), and in the impossibility of passing from one type of existence to the other without an appropriate demonstration. The article then points out the same opposition and the same impossibility maintained by the Indian philosopher Bhartrihari in his Vkyapadıya. If Saint Anselm’s ontological proof is applied to the Hindu belief in God Vish5u or in God Shiva, conceived, each one of them by His devotees, as the most perfect Being, then their real existence must be admitted. This is a necessary conclusion that could only produce serious worry to Western philosophers, among whom this proof has always enjoyed a great valuation, notwithstanding the clear objection of Gaunilo, Saint Thomas and Kant.