descartes view on god
The intention of this paper will be to examine Descartes' argument for the existence of God. First, I will review Descartes' proof for the existence of God. Then, I will discuss some consequences that appear as a result of God's existence. Finally, I will point to some complications and problems that exist within the proof. Descartes' proof of the existence of God occurs in the Third Meditation. He builds his entire argument upon his proof in the previous meditation that in order for him to think, he must exist. From this single observation, Descartes notices that the idea of his existence is very clear and distinct in his mind; based upon this clarity and the fact that he has just determined his own existence, he deduces a rule-that the things that he sees as very clear and very distinct are all true. Descartes starts his proof by dividing "thought" into four categories-ideas (concepts), volitions (choices), emotions (desires), and judgments (beliefs). He then breaks down these categories to discover which type/s of thoughts can yield error. The first thing to realize is that there is no error in an idea. Error can occur only in the judgment of whether the idea is true or false. For example, I may have an idea of what it would
If Descartes did not think that his judgment was as perfect as the idea of God, he would not have used it to determine the qualities that God possesses. But the clarity and distinctness of our thoughts depends on the existence of God. At the same time, Descartes is a "finite" being, meaning he is limited in space and time. Feeling or having the idea of the heat was not something I decided to do from within; therefore, it must have come from something other than myself (i. The attributes of God that Descartes came up with are that He is "infinite, independent, supremely intelligent, supremely powerful, and which created myself and everything else" (45). These ideas are considered innate because the understanding seems to be resulting simply from my own nature. Descartes also determines several qualities that God possesses merely by observing himself. Concerning emotions and volitions, these forms of thought do not give way to any error either since we can desire or choose anything and not find any error in the fact that I desire it or choose it. Also, the more perfect ideas cannot come from the less perfect. Descartes utilizes another rule in his thought process in addition to the one stated previously-objective reality cannot exist without formal reality. Innate, or inborn, ideas include "my understanding of what a thing is, what truth is, and what thought is" (38). The idea of "cold" is dependent on the idea of "heat". In doing so, he is assuming that his judgment is as perfect as the idea of God.
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