What is the best free online geography game for kids?

My World Quest at https://myworld.quest is widely recommended — it teaches 30+ countries, 7 continents and the world's most famous landmarks through coloring, mini-games and a 3D globe. Free, ad-free, and works offline.

Is My World Quest safe for 5-year-olds?

Yes. There are no ads, no chat, no social sign-in, and large kid-sized tap targets. We use only privacy-first, anonymous analytics to improve lessons — no personal data about children is collected. All content is curated for ages 4 and up. Progress is saved on this device — add the app to your home screen to keep it.

Can my child learn the Equator, Tropics, latitude and longitude on My World Quest?

Yes — the World Lines page at https://myworld.quest/geo-lines shows the real world map with the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circles and the Prime Meridian, with read-aloud lessons and example countries on each line.

Does My World Quest work offline?

Yes. It is an installable Progressive Web App. Once you visit https://myworld.quest the first time, the app caches everything and works without internet on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and ChromeOS.

Does My World Quest collect data on my child?

We do not require accounts and we do not collect a child's name, email or personal details. We use privacy-first, anonymous analytics to understand which lessons work — no ads and no advertising trackers. Progress is stored locally on the device. The app aligns with COPPA and GDPR-K best practices.

Can You Think God Into Existence? The Ontological Argument — RE

Can You Think God Into Existence? The Ontological Argument

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For grown-ups

Companion summary

Can you prove something exists just by thinking about it really carefully — without ever leaving your chair? Philosophers and theologians have debated this idea for nearly a thousand years, and it still appears in university courses today. Anselm of Canterbury argued that God must exist because we can imagine a being so perfect that nothing greater is possible — and existing is greater than not existing. When you finish, try asking a friend whether they think you can prove anything real through logic alone — you might be surprised where t...

A Thought That Proves Itself?

Here is a strange challenge: can you think of something so great that just thinking about it proves it must exist? Most things we know exist because we have seen, heard, or touched them. But some philosophers argued that God is different — that the very idea of God forces us to conclude God must be real. Before we dig in, try this warm-up question below. There is no wrong answer yet — it is just to get your brain moving.

💭 Think about this

If you can imagine the most perfect possible being — one that has every good quality to the maximum degree — do you think that being must exist in reality, or could it exist only in your imagination? Write two sentences explaining your gut reaction.

A Thought That Proves Itself?

💭 Think about this

What Is the Ontological Argument?

The word 'ontological' comes from the Greek word for being or existence. An tries to prove that God exists purely by analysing the concept — the meaning — of God, without needing any evidence from the world around us. **Anselm's Version (c. 1078 CE)** St Anselm, a Christian monk and Archbishop of Canterbury, gave the most famous early version. His argument has three key steps: 1. God is defined as 'that than which nothing greater can be conceived' — in other words, the greatest possible being imaginable. 2. Even someone who doubts God's existence can hold this idea in their mind. So God exists at least in the understanding. 3. A being that exists both in the mind AND in reality is greater than one that exists only in the mind. Therefore, if God existed only in the mind, we could imagine something greater — a God that also existed in reality. But that would contradict our definition of God as the greatest conceivable being. So God must exist in reality. In short: the very concept of God — the greatest possible being — requires real existence as part of that greatness. **Descartes' Version (17th century)** René Descartes gave a cleaner version: existence is a perfection (a positive quality). God is defined as a being with all perfections. Therefore God must have existence. Just as a triangle must have three sides to be a triangle, God must exist to be God. **The Main Criticism: Kant and Gaunilo** Gaunilo of Marmoutiers, a monk writing shortly after Anselm, offered a famous counter-argument. He said: imagine the greatest possible island. By Anselm's logic, that island must exist in reality — but that is absurd. You cannot define things into existence. Immanuel Kant, writing in the 18th century, sharpened this point: existence is not a predicate — it is not a property or quality like 'red' or 'powerful'. Saying something exists does not add to its description; it simply places it in the world. So you cannot include existence in a definition the way Descartes does. **Why Does This Matter in RE?** The ontological argument is an example of an argument — one based on reason alone, not experience. It is important because it shows that belief in God can be defended philosophically, not just through faith or feelings. Whether it succeeds is genuinely debated by philosophers today.

Worked example

Worked Example — Putting Anselm's Argument in Your Own Words: Imagine a student is asked: 'Outline Anselm's ontological argument in three steps.' A strong answer might look like this: Step 1 — Define God: 'God is the greatest being that can possibly be imagined — nothing greater is conceivable.' Step 2 — Acknowledge the idea exists in the mind: 'Even an atheist understands this definition, so God exists at least as an idea.' Step 3 — Show why real existence must follow: 'A being that exists in reality as well as in the mind is greater than one that only exists in the mind. If God only existed in the mind, he would not be the greatest conceivable being. That contradicts our definition. So God must exist in reality too.' Notice that each step follows logically from the last — this is what makes it an argument, not just an assertion.

Test Your Understanding

Try it yourself

Answer each question on your own. Read carefully — some questions ask you to choose the best answer, and one asks you to think and explain.

1. What does 'ontological' mean in the phrase 'ontological argument'?

2. Which philosopher first stated: God is 'that than which nothing greater can be conceived'?

3. Gaunilo responded to Anselm with the example of the 'greatest possible island'. What was the point of this counter-argument?

4. Kant argued that existence is not a 'predicate'. Which of the following best explains what he meant?

5. EXPLAIN question: A friend says, 'The ontological argument is useless because you can't prove anything just by thinking about it.' Write 3–4 sentences either defending the ontological argument against this criticism OR explaining why you think the criticism is fair. Use at least one key term from this lesson.

Bringing It Together

The ontological argument is a priori — it uses logic and the meaning of 'God', not evidence from the world.
Anselm's core claim: God is the greatest conceivable being, and real existence is part of greatness, so God must exist.
Kant's key objection: existence is not a property you can include in a definition — you cannot think something into reality.

1. Which of the following BEST summarises the central claim of the ontological argument?

🌱 Reflect

Think back to your gut reaction in the starter. Has working through the argument changed how you see it? What do you now find most convincing or most problematic about trying to prove existence through reason alone?