2013-07-30
Explanation
The comic presents Saint Anselm's famous ontological argument for the existence of God, then applies the same logical structure to something absurd. In the first panel, labeled "Saint Anselm's Proof," a medieval-looking figure (representing Saint Anselm of Canterbury) explains: God is the best possible being; any being would be made better by existence; therefore, the best possible being must be existent; therefore, God exists.
In the second panel, labeled "Saint Anselm's Corollary," the same figure applies identical reasoning to claim that his really hot girlfriend from Canada must exist. His argument goes: the best girlfriend ever would exist; therefore, my girlfriend from Canada who's really hot exists, and we do it all the time. This parodies the classic schoolyard claim of having a girlfriend who conveniently lives in another country and whom nobody has ever met.
The comic is a clever critique of the ontological argument, one of the most debated proofs in the history of philosophy. The ontological argument, first formulated by Anselm in the 11th century, reasons that God must exist because existence is a necessary property of the greatest conceivable being. Philosophers from Kant to Gaunilo have objected to this reasoning, noting that you cannot define something into existence. The comic illustrates this objection perfectly: if the argument works for God, it should work for anything you define as "the best possible" version of itself, including an imaginary girlfriend.
The votey shows Saint Anselm contentedly murmuring "Mmm... existence..." with a dreamy expression, suggesting he finds the very concept of existence to be deeply satisfying -- a fitting punchline for someone whose entire philosophical legacy rests on arguing that existence is an inherent perfection.