Descartes Belief in God Essay - 1503 Words

Descartes and God In his groundbreaking work, Meditations on First Philosophy, the French philosopher Rene Descartes lays the groundwork for many philosophical principles by attempting to â€Å"establish a bold and lasting knowledge† (171)1. The foundations for knowledge Descartes established would go on to influence a plethora of other philosophers and philosophical works. Descartes argues in his meditations first from the point of view of complete skepticism, using skepticism as a tool in order to discover what is real. Through this method, Descartes explains the existence of man as a â€Å"thinking thing,† the capacity for human error, the overall trustworthiness of our senses, the existence of a physical world, the mind and body as separate†¦show more content†¦Descartes first uses a scientific cause-and-effect principle to claim that his clear idea of God is proof of God’s existence. Descartes claims that the â€Å"light of nature has reveled that there is at least as much in a complete efficient cause as in its effect† (178). By using this principle, Descartes claims that since his clear perception of God is a supremely perfect being, and since there is as much reality in his idea of God as in its cause, then God must exist as the only being with as much reality as his idea of God. Since Descartes has just proven God is the pinnacle of complete perfection and â€Å"deception always contain(s) imperfection,† then God cannot be an evil deceiver as Descartes earlier hypothesized (183). Descartes also delves into how the idea of God must come from God himself. Since God cannot be â€Å"taken in through senses,† and since Descartes himself didn’t create the idea of God, Descartes claims that the idea of God must be â€Å"innate†¦like my idea of myself† (182). Descartes uses this argument to claim that God â€Å"put this idea into me†¦like a craftsman’s mark on his work† (182). Descartes now sees himself and mankind created in God’s own image, and since he has proven God is perfect, God wouldn’t have created man specifically deceive them or to give them the capacity to err. According to this premise, Descartes infers that our senses aren’t made to err and will deliver truths when used correctly. Descartes deduces man’s ability to err stems fromShow MoreRelatedThe Life of Rene’ Descartes: His Works and His Beliefs in God1578 Words   |  7 PagesWas Rene’ Descartes just a visionary of truth, mathematical equations or was he truly a man that knew he was born to tell the world about life, knowledge, and how it all came together metaphorically? Please see the research on Rene’ Descartes cited accomplishments. Descartes was known as the first modern philosopher. Famous for making a connection between geometry and algebra, which allowed for solving of geometrical problem by way of algebraic equations, which promoted a new conception of matterRead MoreEssay about Descartes First Meditation924 Words   |  4 PagesDescartes#8217; first meditation, his main objective is to present three skeptical arguments to bring doubt upon what he considers his basic beliefs. Descartes believes this to be an intricate part of his complete epistemological argument. Descartes skeptical arguments are not intended to be a denial of his basic beliefs. On the contrary, he uses these arguments to help prove one of his main theses, which is the existence of God. One of the main premises that Descartes uses in his proof forRead MoreHow Descartes Throws On The Wind Of Search For A Universal And Unchanging Foundational Truth1615 Words   |  7 Pagesthis essay I will address how Descartes throws all his belief s to the wind in search for a universal and unchanging foundational truth, that bypass his deceptive senses and shines light on all his beliefs that are clearly and distinctly, proven based on his supreme foundational truth. As Descartes tries to unravel his former beliefs and find an unquestioning truth in which he can build all other truths without the errors of deception leading him astray. Descartes begins his search by questioningRead MoreDescarte and Pierce Essay examples1350 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes and Peirce both believe in belief and doubt. However, Peirce argument and determination to find a solution to overcome doubt is much stronger than Descartes’. Peirce also makes it known that he is aware of belief in which Descartes does not. Their beliefs result from the notion of clear and distinct ideas. Peirce and Descartes are both rationalists who believe that there is an independent truth and they know it when they see it. The problem that exists is that Descartes and Peirce realizeRead MoreThe Meditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes916 Words   |  4 Pageson First Philosophy by Rene Descartes is a thorough analysis about doubt. Descartes describes his method of doubt t o determine whether he can truly know something. One of his major arguments is the proof of the existence of God. In this paper, I will attempt to unravel the flaws in Descartes proof that God exists. In the meditations, Descartes evaluates whether or not everything we know is a reality or a dream. Descartes claims that we can only be sure that our beliefs are true when we clearly andRead MoreDiscourse on Descartes Skeptical Method1672 Words   |  7 PagesSebastian Gumina Paper Topic #1 Descartes’ Skeptical Method Descartes’ method offers definitive conclusions on certain topics, (his existence, the existence of God)but his reasoning is not without error. He uses three arguments to prove existence (His and God’s) that attempt to solidify his conclusions. For his method to function seamlessly, Descartes needs to be consistent in his use of the method, that is, he must continue to doubt and challenge thoughts that originate in his ownRead MoreEssay on descartes1223 Words   |  5 Pages Descartes ignored all he believed to be true. He believed that if any belief can be doubted it is not certain, making it unusable as a foundation. Descartes jettisons any information, knowledge, or truths that are based on his senses. He applied the â€Å"Dream Argument,† (19) where he stated that based on the senses alone, there is no definite way of proving that you are dreaming or awake. Therefore, any truths based upon the senses are unreliable and doubtful. Descartes turned to why a nd how his sensesRead MoreDescartes And Spinoza On Nature Of God1282 Words   |  6 Pages This is certainly the case when it comes to Descartes and Spinoza, who are both adamant that their views provide the correct context and insight on their opinions of God. In Readings in Modern Philosophy by Ariew and Watkins, it is revealed that while both philosophers tend to agree on opinions like God being infinite, there are many reasons why Descartes and Spinoza disagree on the nature of God and their opinion of substance, for example, Descartes believes that there is more than one type ofRead MoreThe Ontological Argument For The Existence Of God1509 Words   |  7 Pages Descartes’ ontological argument is an echo of the original ontological argument for the existence of God as proposed by St. Anselm in the 11th century. To illustrate the background of the ontological argument, Anselm’s argument works within a distinct framework of ontology that posits the existence of God as necessity by virtue of its definition. In other words, for the mind to conceive of an infinite, perfect God, ultimately implies that there must indeed be a perfect God that embodies existenceRead MoreHow Not to Build a Bridge Essay1726 Words   |  7 Pagesof knowledge I assume could conceivably be uncertain in reality. Rene Descartes set out to do just that in one his most famous works, entitled Meditations of First Philosophy; having realized that the beliefs he employed on a daily basis were flawed, Descartes began pursuing a foundationalist framework of knowledge that would enable him to develop certainty from his beliefs. While I agree with Descartes’ notion that the belief of which I can be most certain is my own existence as a thinking thing