• Home Page
  • An Analysis Of Descartes Argument For The Existence Of God

An Analysis Of Descartes Argument For The Existence Of God

Improved Essays
Show More
In the Third Meditation, Descartes provides an argument for the existence of God that has been a great source of discussion and debate since. With the Meditations, Descartes attempted to deconstruct and destroy all of his beliefs and all foundations of knowledge in order to accomplish two aims: to provide a sound basis for scientific method and to prove the compatibility between science and religion. With the Meditations, Descartes was determined to figure out what he knew with certainty and did this by using doubt as a method. Anything that could be doubted he deemed untrustworthy and ultimately realized the only thing he could know is that he existed as it would be impossible to even doubt one’s existence without existing in the first place. …show more content…
First, we must acknowledge axioms, defined as irreducible primaries, for Descartes’ arguments. These include that something can never arise from nothing, perfection cannot arise from something imperfect and that there is as much reality in an effect as in a cause. The premises in the Third Meditation III can be outlined as follows:
P1: God is the greatest possible being that can be imagined.
P2: God exists as an idea in the mind and humans can have a clear idea of God (infinite, independent, omniscient, omnipotent, …show more content…
Its cause must be God, as there is no greater being than the greatest possible being. Therefore, God exists.
Technically this argument is valid but to be sound the premises must be true. Descartes’ argument has been analyzed and debated by other philosophers and the Meditations include objections. For the purpose of evaluating Descartes’ argument I will be using the simplified version with premise 1, 2 and a conclusion.
The first objections I will discuss come from Hobbes, who argues that premise 1 is fallacious. Hobbes argues that some thoughts are mere images of things based on real life observations and that these images are ideas. Since there is nothing in real life to represent God and no images or pictures to use as a reference, we cannot have a true idea of God. Descartes replies by arguing that by referring to an idea of God, he means what is perceived in the mind and that he uses the term idea because it is used in philosophy to reference perceptions in the mind (Third Objections: CSM II 126-7). Descartes argues that Hobbes should provide his own idea of God and that he is only using the term idea in a manner that suits his argument, which is a __ fallacy. Though I believe Descartes response to Hobbes here is valid, I still find premise 1 questionable because it assumes that all humans have the same specific ideas about God, which may not be true especially considering Descartes does not provide

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Descartes Criteria For Making Mistakes
    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Descartes Criteria For Making Mistakes

    I will argue that Descartes, using his own criteria for making and avoiding mistakes, cannot be making a mistake when he proves the existence of God in meditation three in his Meditations on First Philosophy. I will develop my argument in two parts. First, I will present Descartes’s argument for how mistakes are made and avoided. Second, I will present Descartes’s first proof for the existence of God in the third meditation, and in the process present the steps clearly and distinctly, exactly as Descartes understands them. Thus, Descartes cannot be making a mistake when he proves the existence of God.…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Descartes Fifth Meditation: The Ontological Argument For God
    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Descartes Fifth Meditation: The Ontological Argument For God

    The first possible objection I can think of for Descartes Ontological Argument for God’s Existence is that premise one could be false out of his seven premises because our perceptions change over time. For example if you say I clearly and distinctly perceive myself to have 20/20 vision when you are young doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way forever. This produces a potential misreading of what you previously clearly and distinctly perceived which has now changed. A second Objection to my argument is that the third meditation falls prey to a Cartesian circle. This means that the proof doesn’t work unless the premises support each other at the beginning and end. For example n Descartes writing of the third meditation Descartes writes that since God isn’t a deceiver because Descartes writes we clearly and distinctly view god as a non-deceiver. Then he says God’s existence provides us with clear and distinct…

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Descartes Argument Of Meditation Summary
    • 1946 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Descartes Argument Of Meditation Summary

    In “Mediation III”, Descartes establishes that the idea of clear and distinct perception rest on the foundation of a perfect God. Yet, Descartes proof of God appears to be grounded in the the idea that we clearly perceive this supreme being. His appeal to the “natural light of reason” isn 't any different than us perceiving clearly and distinctly. Descartes is relying on his reliability of perception of God in his attempt to prove that God exists. This circular reasoning is what is known as the “Cartesian Circle.” The premises of his argument explicitly draw upon the questions. Moreover, even if there is a supreme being that exists, how can it be proved that he gave us these faculties of will and intellect or that he has any interaction with us or cares about us whatsoever? His argument for God as a reason to believe all that one perceives is truth is more of a statement go faith than it is logic. Proving God’s existence is significant to the meditations because it is the only way to bring back the outside world, outside of the mind.For me, the only veridical foundation Descartes intellectual project finds is that I…

    • 1946 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How Does Descartes Prove That God Exist
    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages

    How Does Descartes Prove That God Exist

    In this essay, I will discuss how after the first and second meditation, Descartes knows that he exists and that he is a thinking thing. I will then proceed to analyze the third meditation in which Descartes focuses on a causal argument for existence of God who is perfect. By the end of the third meditation, Descartes appears to prove that he is not God and that God exists.…

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Argument For Defective Nature Doubt By Descartes
    • 1259 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Argument For Defective Nature Doubt By Descartes

    In Descartes’ second meditation, he offers up an argument for Defective Nature Doubt that brings forth the idea that we can’t be certain of anything we perceive being actual and real (153). Descartes thinks that there is a possibility that we are constantly being deceived due to the fact that we don’t know, with perfect certainty, where our ideas originate from (154). He tries to describe a method in order to dispel this Defective Nature Doubt by giving an argument for the existence of God. I think that the argument he gives for the existence of God is valid, yet I find it to be unsound due to the fact that a few of his premises are can easily be doubted. In order to express this opinion, I will first provide explanations of the premises and…

    • 1259 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Descartes Ontological Argument
    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Descartes Ontological Argument

    For Descartes, things are sure paying little mind to sense experience and it appears to be rationally unthinkably to think about them as false. Given this, Descartes builds up his reasoning for the existence of God as an all-perfect being. He does this by starting with a thought that is viewed as sure and ascribing what makes us feel as though something is sure. For this situation he considers something sure as something so plainly and strikingly saw that it can't be untrue. Here he infers then that for something to be true, I simply need to have an unmistakable and distinctive thought of it and that alone is sufficient precursor for its truth-esteem. He illuminates this by portraying the mind's way to have clear and particular knowledge of…

    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Rene Descartes Special Causal Principle Summary
    • 1972 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Rene Descartes Special Causal Principle Summary

    In the 3rd Meditation, Descartes concludes that the he is a thinking thing and continues by determining whether there is anything that exist outside of him. Descartes then provides an argument which aim is to determine whether God exist, and this is presented as an argument for the existence of God based on an idea. In this, the Special Causal Principle arises and well as the concept of “clear and distinct ideas”. The aim of this paper is to ascertain whether the argument makes use of the two principles by critically evaluating the argument based on the idea of God.…

    • 1972 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How Does Descartes Argument That He Exist
    • 206 Words
    • 1 Pages

    How Does Descartes Argument That He Exist

    In Meditation Three, Descartes proves that God does in fact exist and that He is not a deceiver. This argument did not only prove an existence,, yet it helped readers, like me, understand that we are not deceived when we are trying to perceive different things around us. In Meditation Two, Descartes…

    • 206 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Rene Descartes Meditation 3 Analysis
    • 1191 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Rene Descartes Meditation 3 Analysis

    In meditation three Rene Descartes tries convincing the reader that God actually does exist. He starts off by briefly explaining the first two meditations. He says in the first meditation he is doubtful about all the things he thinks he knows, and in the second meditation he states that he believes he exists when he thinks he exists. Descartes concluded that whatever he truly believes in clearly and distinctly therefore then must be…

    • 1191 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Descartes Meditation Argument
    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Descartes Meditation Argument

    In the finality of Descartes' first meditation, the meditator is already facing supreme doubt of all formerly inherited and empirical knowledge and builds an approach towards creating a foundation of doubt on all previous beliefs. Believing to have called all of their beliefs into question, the meditator still demands reason to doubt arithmetic and geometric knowledge – a knowledge that to them feels most intuitive; a “perfect knowledge”. To this, the meditator raises a hypothesis that applies their belief in god: The meditator's detailed argument is as follows:…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Descartes Arguments For The Existence Of God
    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Descartes Arguments For The Existence Of God

    In Descartes’ second argument, he says that he exists as something with an idea of God and everything that exists has a cause which is the reason it exists and preserves its own existence. He cannot preserve his existence and believes that he is not the reason for his existence. Also, Descartes considers that the only thing capable of creating him and preserving him is God. Therefore, he believes God exists.…

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Rene Descartes Argument Analysis
    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Rene Descartes Argument Analysis

    These arguments by Descartes were intended to proof God’s existence; nonetheless, the two arguments had weaknesses. An example, in the first argument a person can deny having a perfect idea that is caused by God and therefore not acknowledge the existence of God. With this line of argumentative points, Descartes arguments do not hold meaning and as a consequence the conclusion cannot follow. Second argument is also weak in the sense that Descartes believes that God is perfect and is not a deceiver. How is it then that the imperfect is a deceiver? A perfect deceiver cannot lead one into deceit or error. As a result, if God truly existed, human beings would not be imperfect. Descartes’s arguments contradict one another and thus the clear picture being unclear. During the argument much contradiction transpires as Descartes argues that God is not a deceiver therefore human beings are perfect and at the same time argue that human beings are imperfect and thus their existence is uncertain. Descartes’s arguments are related, and there is no significant difference. The differences takes place minutes as the later argument highlights the issues deliberated in the first discussion. The first argument offers a stronger sense and it is more substantial than the…

    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Descartes Second Meditation Argument
    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Descartes Second Meditation Argument

    Descartes begins his Second Meditation by saying yesterday’s meditation, which is the First Meditation, has left him doubting his beliefs. He decides to dump everything he thought was true and start over. Everything he admits has the least bit of doubt should be declared as completely false. If there is someone who instills thoughts in him, who thought of someone instilling thoughts in him? He wonders if he is the author of these thoughts. Descartes also persuaded himself there was nothing in the world, including the sky, the earth, minds, bodies, and even…

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Descartes Third Meditation Analysis
    • 1901 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Descartes Third Meditation Analysis

    Descartes’ “Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy” is ultimately his journey for true knowledge. In his third meditation he tackles the topic of whether or not there is a God. So far he has talked on his methods of how to find true knowledge such as taking everything that he thinks he knows and discarding it as well as only basing what is true on the fact that he can prove it within his own mind. He has concluded this for multiple reasons such as his senses may all be just a dream and the fact that he may have been deceived by an outside force. Once he has cleared his mind of all things that may be false he began to build off of the things that he can be sure of. The only other thing that he has decided is true prior to the third meditation is the fact that he exists, if not as a body at least as a thinking being. So using what he has built up so far he begins to use his ability of reasoning in order to determine the existence of God. Using the argument that if he has an idea of something it must be true he reasons within his own mind that God must exist.…

    • 1901 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Critical Analysis Of René Descartes Meditations On First Philosophy
    • 703 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Critical Analysis Of René Descartes Meditations On First Philosophy

    Descartes goes into questioning whether his existence is valid since all of our surroundings and understandings can be undone with doubt. This is hyperbolic doubt, the beginning of methodological doubt which is a technique Descartes believes we should use to rid ourselves of inaccurate thinking. He poses the question of how do we know that we exist if we cannot depend on our sense and math if there is a being that can deceive us every step of the way and leaves the physical world as nonexistent were that the case. With this, he reckons that even there is a deceiving demon, the fact that he can think cannot be denied and declares it as “cogito ergo sum” or “I think, therefore, I am” (Meditation II). To affirm existence is to be able to think, even if we do not have a body which encompasses all the senses that could be deceived therefore making it impossible to exist. This establishes the fact that since it is the mind that holds consciousness, it is what can be relied on as opposed to what we experience through our senses since we cannot doubt the mind because the only way to doubt is through the mind itself. Descartes believes with certainty that he exists because he can think without needing a physical body and essentially concludes to “I think, therefore, I am.”…

    • 703 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2023 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings