Existence of God Essay

Descartes applies the Cogito ergo sum (I compute in that locationfore I am) strain from the second meditation to parent early(a) foundational truth, which is the earthly concern of god. He uses his personal Christian touch sensation and definition of immortal to launch upon this proposition and tries to prove that something besides him exists by contemplating his conception of theology. This turn out will apologise and assess Descartes aetiological and fountain of innovation line of merchandises for the existence of divinity by identifying the subject matter of existence in this context and the brighten and plain rule, as well as examining each premise and conclusion of the consequences. Fin aloney, this essay shall attempt to evaluate Descartes line of businesss.The Third supposition begins with Descartes affirmation of his own existence. He is a thought thing which exists by happen and translucent perception, and it is in that respectfore im attainable to be doubtful of knowledge that he solely regards. Certainty and truth are equated. In order to establish the hold and explicit rule, Descartes moldiness prove the existence of a finished and undeceiving divinity fudgeSince I am a persuasion thing, and sire in me an thought of immortal, whatever finally the manage may be to which my nature is attri scarceed, it essentialiness ineluctably be admitted that the coiffe moldiness equally be a calculateing thing, and possess at heart it the liking of all the apotheosiss that I attri savee to the divine nature.Descartes has an mind of God and perceives that God would non victimize him since deception would mean im gross(a)ion, and God is multitudinous and unadulterated. Descartes in addition presents the supposition that with Gods perfection comes His existence. This can be summarised as(P1) Descartes exists be fix he thinks. (P2) He exists by create and distinct perception of things. (C1) Descartes exists as a thinking thing. (P3) As a thinking thing, he has an conceit of an multitudinous and perfect God (which is clear and distinct). (C2) God is innumerous and perfect in his predilection. (P4) Existence is perfection. (C3) An number little and perfect God exists in his topic. This is an tilt considering the idea of God alone and does non rely on experience to prove his point. This relies on the Casual Adequacy article of faith1. Descartes get bys There mustiness be at least as much humanity in the efficient and total movement as in its effect. He claims that his idea of a perfect God must itself be caused by something perfect. Descartes also defends this line of descent by insisting that .certainly not nothing, and so it cannot come from nothing. For example, the existence of a stone (which previously did not exist) must be produced by something which contains the components of a stone. The cause must have more(prenominal) humanity than its effect. The fault here is that there is no decisive connection between the cause of an purpose (something perfect) and its effect (idea of a perfect God). If there were, then it would follow that perfection created God, and that perfection must have been caused and created by something else, and so on and so forth, which would lead to an illimitable regress. This idea therefore, does not have a straightforward cause and is anomalous.Hume argues that we can expect of something perfect without any bearing on its actual and immediate existence. It is logically possible that some ideas have no cause. If the idea of God has no cause, Descartes proposition is false and the disceptation fails.Another variation of this crinkle is that the idea that God cannot exist in Descartes mind unless God Himself put that idea there, and that God must have brought virtually Descartes existence not himself, his parents or something else less than God, which does not have a magnate and perfection to cause this, neith er could an unconditioned series of events, each causing the other only not able to cause the idea of GodAltogether then, it must be concluded that the mere particular that I exist and I have within me the idea of the most perfect being, that is, God, provides a very clear establishment that God indeed exists.This can be summarised as(P5) If the cause of Descartes idea of God must not come from himself, his parents, something else or infinite series of events. (C4) Then the cause of Descartes idea of God is God. (C3) An infinite and perfect God exists in his idea. (P6) Neither himself, his parents, something else, nor an infinite series of events causes Descartes existence. (C5) Descartes existence is caused by God. (P7) If God created Descartes. (C6) Then God exists. This melodic line depends more on assertion than logical progression, but Descartes goes on to try and prove by the aetiological or trademark argument that the presence of the idea of God in our mind mean s that God has stamped it there. It is congenital and cannot be explained by experience. Descartes idea of God is clear and distinct, and by God he means infinity and perfection. This can be summarised as(P3) Descartes has a clear and distinct idea of God. (P8) Only something infinite and perfect can create something infinite and perfect. (P9) The precisely infinite and perfect being is God. (C7) The idea of God must be created by God (the same as C4 but reworded) (P3) Descartes has a clear and distinct idea of God. (C8) God exists clearly and distinctly in his idea (the same as C3 but reworded) If both P3 and C8 are true, Descartes is guilty of bank bill reasoning (begging the question fallacy). This argument relies upon its conclusion. It also follows God exists only as an idea. However, Descartes claims that there are different kinds of clear and distinct perceptions one that could be subjected to doubt, for instance 1 + 1 = 2 is a persuasion (which corresponds to things that exist independently of him) and can be doubted unless God confirms it, and, therefore, potentially doubtful. The other is that his clear and distinct perception that God exists is an idea with no judgement attached and in some way immune from doubt (he cannot be premature about the contents of his own thoughts/ideas). This makes me think that Descartes awards himself the prerogative of distinguishing ideas that can be clearly and distinctly perceived from those which cannot.In this essay, and in Descartes meditation, the word idea has come up numerous times. This leads me to conclude that the only proof that Descartes manages to establish is that God exists as an idea. He does not have to build the earthly concern of Gods empirical existence into an idea that is already clear and distinct. However, it does not follow that anything represented by such(prenominal) an idea actually exists, except, of course, in the content of God (again, probably one of Descartes prerogatives ).For example, within my reasoning, I possess the concept of God but do not have to believe that He exists butas a believer, I may argue that God exists for reasons which our intellect cannot grasp. This requires a stand out of faith rather than hard evidence. Similarly, person may argue that they can cerebrate of there being dragons. We all understand what dragons are, but do not necessarily believe they exist. It is probably therefore essential to build empirical, actual existence into the argument to prove that anything exists in a concrete and meaningful way.Apart from the flaws identified in Descartes arguments, much of his reasoning seems sound and valid. He has established two fundamental truths I exist and God exists to be logically necessary, clear and distinct ideas. So, as a matter of logic, it does not make grit to doubt the existence of the idea of God. However, Descartes argument does little to endorse my residual belief in God, which results from a convent educati on. The idea of God made in mans image is comprehensible to most people. Indeed, The idea of God is central to religion, and without it, religion would not exist. (Mary Warnock). This is a perfectly valid argument but no proof of Gods existence outside the mind.BibliographyBurns, E. and Law, S. 2004. philosophy for AS and A2. Oxon Routledge Cottingham, C. 1996. Descartes Meditations of First Philosophy. Cambridge Cambridge University Press Thornes, N. 2008. AQA Philosophy. Cheltenham Nelson Thornes Ltd Vardy, P. 1999. The set about of God. capital of the United Kingdom HarperCollins Publisher Warnock, M. 2010. Dishonest to God. London Continuum International Publishing GroupOnline textbookPecorino, A (MD). 2001. Philosophy of Religion. Queensborough Community College, CUNYWebsitehttp//plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes-meditationshttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_adequacy_principle term Count1,3461 CAP is a philosophical claim made by Descartes that the cause of an object must contain at least as much reality as the object itself, whether formally or eminently.