SOURCE: Losoncy, Thomas A. “Language and Saint Anselm's Proslogion Argument.” In Acta Conventus Neo-Latini Bononiensis: Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress on Neo-Latin Studies, edited by R. J. Schoeck, pp. 284-291. Binghamton, N. Y.: Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, 1985.

In the following essay, Losoncy claims that critical appraisals of the Proslogion have generally failed to recognize and understand Anselm's particular use of language, thus reaching misleading conclusions.

In the over nine hundred years since Saint Anselm wrote the Proslogion steadfast disagreement over what he meant, and sometimes over what he said, functions as an unbroken principle of interpretation among its readers and commentators alike. How to explain this phenomenon has proven equally controversial. However, two explanations of the long embattled history of the Proslogion are feasible.

One is that access to the complete Proslogion was impossible for many of Anselm's successors, including such renowned reviewers of the work as...