Gaunilo
A monk of Marmoutiers, which is near Tours, Gaunilo (fl. XI Century) is known for his Liber pro insipiente, which argues against Anselm's ontological proof of the existence of God. Taking the role of the fool who argues in his heart that there is no God, Gaunilo argues that the possession of a concept implies neither reference nor existence outside the mind. He says that Anselm moves from the conceptual to the real in a way inconsistent with logical and actual transition. Thomas Aquinas approved of Gaunilo's refutation of Anselm; Gaunilo was the first to formulate the standard argument against Anselm's proof.
Karen Rae Keck
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