Anselm
medievalScholasticism1033 – 1109
Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109) was a Benedictine monk, Archbishop of Canterbury, and one of the most influential philosophers of the medieval period. He is best known for originating the ontological argument for God's existence and for his satisfaction theory of atonement. His method of 'faith seeking understanding' (fides quaerens intellectum) helped define the relationship between theology and philosophical reason in the Latin West.
Notable Achievements
1
Formulated the ontological argument for God's existence in the Proslogion
2
Developed the satisfaction theory of the Atonement in Cur Deus Homo
3
Advanced the method of fides quaerens intellectum, grounding rational theology in faith
4
Produced rigorous modal and necessity arguments about divine attributes
5
Served as Archbishop of Canterbury and defended ecclesiastical independence against royal authority