Kurt G\"odel's reception of Charles Hartshorne's ontological proof

TL;DR

This paper examines Kurt G"odel's notes on Charles Hartshorne's modal logic proof of God's necessary existence, exploring influences and connections to G"odel's own ontological proof and theological views.

Contribution

It uncovers G"odel's annotations on Hartshorne's proof, revealing potential influences and deepening understanding of G"odel's theological and philosophical perspectives.

Findings

G"odel's notes show engagement with Hartshorne's proof

Connections between G"odel's and Anselm's conceptions of God are identified

Implications for G"odel's ontological proof development are discussed

Abstract

In 1962 Charles Hartshorne published a modal logic proof formalizing Anselm of Canterbury's ontological argument for the necessary existence of God. This article presents Kurt G\"odel's notes on this proof which have now been discovered in his Nachlass among other theological material, and discusses possible influences on the development of G\"odel's own ontological proof. To complete the picture, strong connections between Anselm of Canterbury's and G\"odel's conceptions of God and his positive properties are pointed out.