Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • An Italian Benedictine monk and theologian: Saint Anselm was a medieval philosopher and theologian who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. He is recognized as one of the founders of scholasticism, a method of learning that emphasized reason and dialectic in theology and philosophy.
   • Author of the ontological argument: He is best known for his philosophical proof for the existence of God, known as the ontological argument, which is based on the concept of a being "than which nothing greater can be conceived."

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun:
  • The writings of Saint Anselm were highly influential in medieval European thought.
  • In his work "Proslogion," Saint Anselm formulated his famous ontological argument.

Advanced Usage

• "Anselmian": Pertaining to or characteristic of Saint Anselm or his philosophical and theological ideas.
  • The debate featured an Anselmian perspective on the nature of faith and reason.

Variants and Related Words

• Anselm: The name used without the honorific "Saint."
• Scholasticism: The school of thought he helped found, which sought to reconcile classical philosophy with Christian theology.
• Ontological argument: The specific philosophical proof for God's existence for which he is most famous.

Synonyms

• Theologian: A person who engages in the study of the nature of God and religious belief.
• Philosopher: A person engaged in the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.

Related Phrases

• "Anselm's argument": A common shorthand reference to his ontological proof.
  • The philosophy lecture focused on a critique of Anselm's argument.

Noun

1. an Italian who was a Benedictine monk; was archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109; one of the founders of scholasticism; best known for his proof of the existence of God