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Descartes Argument For The Existence Of God

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Descartes’ project –the Meditations- was undertaken to provide answers, as opposed to uncertainties. He aimed to establish which of our previous beliefs we can retain and which we should reject as unjustified. During his search for complete truths, Descartes concludes that God exists, primarily because this idea is already within us. God’s existence is crucial in Descartes’ argument because without establishing that God exists, the Meditator (symbolic of not only Descartes but of anyone reading the Meditations and repeating his exercise) cannot be certain of anything bar that he is a “thinking thing” (Descartes, 1998, p.31). Descartes also uses God’s existence to prove there is no deceiver, as God would not allow this (Descartes, 1998, p.44). However, I will argue that Descartes is in fact not entitled to use God’s existence in such a way, mainly because his argument is flawed as it is based on assumption. …show more content…

He argued: Every idea has a cause, and the cause must have as much formal reality as the idea has objective reality (Descartes, 1998, p.35). Formal reality is a property that something possesses simply by existing, whereas objective reality relates to what the idea represents (Chris Lindsay, 2014, p.19). For example, the idea of an infinite being (God) contains more objective reality than the idea of a finite being (humans). He then

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However, Descartes is indeed certain of the fact that he is a thinking being, and that he exists. As a result of this argument, Descartes makes a conclusion that the things he perceives clearly and distinctly cannot be false, and are therefore true (Blanchette). This clear and distinct perception is an important component to the argument that Descartes makes in his fifth meditation for the existence of God. This paper explains Descartes ' proof of God 's existence from Descartes ' fifth meditation, Pierre Gassendi 's objection to this proof, and then offers the paper 's author 's opinion on both the proof and objection.

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Descartes gave a few arguments that God exists and is real. Desocrates believed our idea of God is that God is a perfect being, he believed he is more perfect to exist than not to exist. Desocrates also believed that God is a infinite being. Descartes idea would be that God gave us this idea to type this paragraph about him so he must be real. When he thinks negative of an idea or thought he wonders if an evil demon plotted those thoughts.

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We know clear and distinct perceptions independently by God, and his existence provides us with a certainty we might not possess otherwise. However, another possible strategy would be to change Gods role in Descartes philosophy. Instead of seeing God as the validation of clear and distinct perceptions, rather see him as a safeguard against doubt. This strategy, however, is a problem since it re-constructs the Meditations – Philosophical work of Descartes –.This is because it would not be God, who is the ultimate foundation of knowledge, but the clear and distinct

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3.For God to be perfect, God must exist. 4.So God exists. The first argument that Descartes states, in my opinion, is indubitably valid. The example given in class was the supplementary angles in an equilateral triangle will always equal 180 degrees.

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In Meditation 3, the Meditator is creating arguments about the existence of god. This is where Descartes explains different reasons/premises to why god exists. Throughout Meditation 3, Descartes goes back and forth with his arguments arguing one thing then creating a counter argument to it at while still focusing on the main thing which is does god exist. For those wondering whether god does really exist stay tuned into what Descartes says. The premises from the meditation that claim god doesn’t exist are weak and invalid, and fail to give enough evidence to support the thought that god does not exists, which would conclude that God does exist.

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I do not think Descartes would disagree with Anselm’s assertion, but he builds upon and strengthens the ontological proof with 1) asserting God’s perfection and 2) by applying his doctrine of clear and distinct ideas. Much like the idea of a triangle, the concept of God exists within Descartes “no less…than the idea of any figure or number”. (Med. V.65). Descartes possess an idea, a concept of a supremely perfect being, much like his idea of a triangle, with immutable mathematical characteristics.

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This essay will now begin the task of laying out the objection to Descartes’

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Within his first argument he views god as a perfect being. In his eyes it is more perfect to exist than not too, hence why god exists. Descarte raises the question of god’s existence within the third meditation and follows up on the topic in more detail throughout the fifth meditation. His beliefs are solely based on the theory of innate ideas (ie. ideas found within oneself)

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1) Descartes philosophy has doubts concerning his existence. In his meditations, Descartes says that he knows of his existence because of his ability to convince himself that he exists. He says that he is aware of a supreme being that exists which makes him conclude that he exists even though he cannot prove his existence. His arguments are based on mind rather than senses. According to Paley, as much as Descartes has doubts concerning issues, he suggests creating a foundation on which to establish true beliefs.

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Meditation is the introspective process that involves the mind turning back in and upon itself, removing itself from the material world and focusing its attention inward. Descartes employs meditation to detach the minds from external influences, to think and analyze philosophy from the original foundations. This brings us to Descartes First Meditation, with the introduction of the method of doubt, he presents his philosophical project and claims that in order to complete his project he needs to question the truth behind all his beliefs. He attempts to accomplish this impossible feat because as he’s aged he has realized the false foundations that he has held onto thus far and the ideas he’s built on them. To be able to tear down these beliefs,

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Descartes also formulates another argument of doubt but uses God as his object of deception instead of dreaming. He first states that we believe that there is an all-powerful God who has created us, redundant. Descartes goes on to say, that God has it in His power to make us be deceived even about matters of mathematical knowledge which we seem to understand clearly. Descartes does acknowledge his argument is controversial and brings up objections to support his argument. Some might believe God wouldn’t deceive us.

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Cosmological arguments for the existence of God argue that a certain element of the universe has a cause that can only be explained by God as a creator. Descartes' idea of perfection requires a cause–and the origin of this conception of perfection can only be the result of a perfect being. He begins this argument by establishing the fact that he is not a perfect thing based on the fact that he doubts. He realizes that a perfect being would not doubt because to know is better than to doubt. To doubt is an imperfection and because he doubts, he is imperfect.

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Descartes first proof of Gods existence is first introduced in his Third Meditation. This proof is based on his Causal Adequacy Principle regarding the causes of effects. According to this principle, no effect can exist without a cause, and this cause must possess at least as much reality as the effect (Skirry 1). Descartes applies this principle to track the causes of ideas. According to his philosophy, ideas are what connect the mind to the world because there are two types of reality contained in them.

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I believe Descartes brings God into the picture because he cannot know what is right and what is wrong until he figures out the nature of God, and, in fact, whether or not God even exists. When Descartes says, “But in order to remove even this basis for doubting, I should at the first opportunity inquire whether there is a God, and, if there is, whether or not he can be a deceiver. For if I am ignorant of this, it appears I am never capable of being completely certain about anything else.” –Pg. 71. This shows that Descartes feels he needs to know the nature of God before he can know anything else because he is in constant fear of being deceived.

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The next step that Descartes uses in the second meditation is the existence of this Godly figure. He questions his own beliefs with that of the God, and argues that a mind should be capable of thinking for them to be of existence, “Is there not some God, or some other being by whatever name we call it, which puts these reflections into my mind? That is not necessary, for is it not possible that I am capable of producing them myself?” He then puts forward that for one to be deceived by this “evil demon” as he describes it, they have to exist to be deceived.

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