Strengthened Gaunilo-type objections can construct versions of the ontological argument that lead to mutually incompatible conclusions, such as the existence of a perfect solvent together with a perfectly insoluble substance.
Perfect solvent(as an example of absurd conclusions)
A hypothetical substance that could dissolve anything; used here as an example of something we can imagine but that leads to logical contradictions.
Perfectly insoluble substance(as a contradictory example alongside the perfect solvent)
A hypothetical substance that absolutely cannot be dissolved by anything; used here as an example of something logically incompatible with a perfect solvent.
ontological argument(Described as an early and now-canonical formulation found in Anselm's Proslogion.)
An argument that seeks to demonstrate God's existence from the concept or definition of God alone, without appeal to empirical evidence.
The only question, accordingly, is whether the ontological argument is sound. The vast majority of present-day philosophers believe that it is not, and one way of arguing for that view is by appealing to strengthened Gaunilo-type objections—where the idea behind a strengthened Gaunilo-type objection is that, rather than merely paralleling the ontological argument, as Gaunilo did in responding to Anselm, in order to show that there is an overpopulation problem for reality in the form of perfect islands, perfect unicorns, and so on, one can instead construct versions that lead to mutually incomp...