Robert Maydole's Modal Perfection Argument: The Possibility Premise

This argument proves that "maximal greatness" is possible, and in fact that it is logically impossible for it not to be possible. This is the first half of Robert Maydole's modal perfection argument. The conclusion can then be used to support other ontological arguments, such as the modal ontological argument.

Great-making properties: Properties that are better to have than not. Knowledge is plausibly a great-making property, as opposed to ignorance. Being free is plausibly a great-making property, rather than being in an isolation cell.

Maximal Greatness (M): Having all great-making properties, and having them all maxed out. M is itself a great-making property. If you didn't have M before, and then you acquired it, you would be greater than you were.

Non-Maximal Greatness (~M): A lesser-making property. If you didn't have ~M before, and then you acquired it, you would become less great than you were.

A great-making property cannot entail a lesser-making property: If it did, then it would no longer be, by definition, a great-making property. So if something is by definition a great-making property (such as M), then logically it cannot entail a lesser-making property (such as ~M). So M cannot logically entail ~M.

The Argument:

1. If M is not possible, then all properties entail ~M
2. M cannot logically entail ~M
3. Therefore, M is possible