QUOD DEUS SIT IPSA VITA QUA VIVIT, ET SIC DE SIMILIBUS.
God as the Very Life by Which He Lives
Anselm concludes that God does not derive His existence, life, wisdom, or goodness from anything other than Himself, but is Himself the very life, wisdom, and goodness by which He lives, is wise, and does good.
But whatever you are, you certainly are not through something other than yourself. You are therefore the very life by which you live, and the very wisdom by which you are wise, and the very goodness by which you are good to both the good and the evil—and so with everything similar.
Read the original Latin
Sed certe quidquid es, non per aliud es quam per teipsum. Tu es igitur ipsa vita qua vivis, et sapientia qua sapis, et bonitas ipsa qua bonis et malis bonus es; et ita de similibus.
Proslogion (Address / Discourse on the Existence of God) companion
One chapter of historic wisdom, every day
Chosen Portion delivers works like the Proslogion as short daily readings with a prayer — free on iOS.
Anselm designed the Proslogion to be read slowly as prayer, and the Chosen Portion app serves it exactly that way — one short portion per day.
- Finish the entire Proslogion in 14 days at about 10 minutes a day
- Modern-English rendering of all 27 chapters, no Latin required
- Each reading paired with Anselm's own prayers so study ends in worship