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Argument 1
- Something can come from anything
- The cause of an idea must have at least as much formal reality as the idea has objective reality.
- I have in me an idea of God. This idea has infinite objective reality.
- I cannot be the cause of this idea, since I am not an infinite and perfect being. I don't have enough objective reality. Only an infinite and perfect being could cause such an idea.
- So God - a being with infinite objective reality - must exist (and be the source of my idea of God).
- An absolutely perfect being is a good, benevolent being.
- So God is benevolent...
- So God would not deceive me and would not permit me to error without giving me a way to correct my errors.
Descartes suggests in 2 that something greater cannot come from something lesser, yet my parents created me yet I am smarter than them
Argument 2
- I exist.
- My existence must have a cause.
- The cause must be either:
a) myself
b) my always having existed
c) my parents
d) something less perfect than God
e) God
4. Not a. If I had created myself, I would have made myself perfect.
5. Not b. This does not solve the problem. If I am a dependent being, I need to be continually sustained by another.
6. Not c. This leads to an infinite regress
7. Not d. The idea of perfection that exists in me cannot have originated from a non-perfect being.
8. Therefore, e. God exists.
Descartes has not proven that existence must have a cause
What else can I help you with?
What are the premises of Descartes' dream argument?
Descartes' dream argument is based on the premise that we cannot trust our senses to accurately perceive reality because we can never be certain if we are awake or dreaming. This uncertainty raises doubts about the reliability of our perceptions and the existence of an external world.
How does descartes know that god exists?
Descartes argues for the existence of God through his ontological argument, which posits that the idea of a perfect being must come from a perfect being (God). He also argues that since he (Descartes) has a clear and distinct idea of God, and God is a necessary being, then God must exist in reality. This reasoning forms the basis for Descartes' belief in the existence of God.
What is Descartes' proof of God and can you provide a summary of it?
Descartes' proof of God is based on the idea that since he has a clear and distinct idea of God as a perfect being, and since existence is a necessary attribute of perfection, God must exist. In other words, Descartes argues that the very concept of a perfect being necessitates its existence. This proof is known as the ontological argument.
How did Rene descartes try and prove that god was real?
Descartes argued that the existence of God could be proven through his famous Ontological Argument, which posits that the idea of a perfect being must have originated from a perfect being himself. He believed that God's existence was necessary for all other knowledge claims to be valid, as doubts and deceptions would undermine the foundation of any knowledge without God. Ultimately, Descartes saw God as the guarantor of the truth and reliability of knowledge.
What does descartes wants to convey in his third meditation?
In the Third Meditation, Descartes aims to establish the existence of God through his "Trademark Argument." He argues that the idea of God as a perfect being must have originated from a perfect being and could not have been created by imperfect humans. This leads him to conclude that God exists and is the guarantor of the truth of clear and distinct ideas.
What are the premises of Descartes' dream argument?
Descartes' dream argument is based on the premise that we cannot trust our senses to accurately perceive reality because we can never be certain if we are awake or dreaming. This uncertainty raises doubts about the reliability of our perceptions and the existence of an external world.
What is an ontological argument?
The ontological argument is a philosophical argument for the existence of God that is based on the concept of existence or being. It suggests that the very concept of God being the greatest possible being necessarily implies his existence. This argument has been presented and debated by various philosophers throughout history, such as Anselm of Canterbury and René Descartes.
How does descartes know that god exists?
Descartes argues for the existence of God through his ontological argument, which posits that the idea of a perfect being must come from a perfect being (God). He also argues that since he (Descartes) has a clear and distinct idea of God, and God is a necessary being, then God must exist in reality. This reasoning forms the basis for Descartes' belief in the existence of God.
What is Descartes' proof of God and can you provide a summary of it?
Descartes' proof of God is based on the idea that since he has a clear and distinct idea of God as a perfect being, and since existence is a necessary attribute of perfection, God must exist. In other words, Descartes argues that the very concept of a perfect being necessitates its existence. This proof is known as the ontological argument.
Descartes what he cannot be certain of?
Philosophically, Descartes was concerned with the existence of reality.
Why is atheism impossible?
The short answer is it isn't; there are clearly millions of atheists. There is a theological thought that if there are all powerful gods, there wouldn't be any atheists, so the fact that there are is an argument against gods' existence.
What is the name of the strategy employed by Descartes in The Meditations?
The Ontological Argument
How did Rene Descartes prove god's existence?
Rene Descartes philosophy of logic and rationality led him to come to the conclusion that God must exist. Without his existence, there is not explanation for the universe.
How did Rene descartes try and prove that god was real?
Descartes argued that the existence of God could be proven through his famous Ontological Argument, which posits that the idea of a perfect being must have originated from a perfect being himself. He believed that God's existence was necessary for all other knowledge claims to be valid, as doubts and deceptions would undermine the foundation of any knowledge without God. Ultimately, Descartes saw God as the guarantor of the truth and reliability of knowledge.
What does descartes wants to convey in his third meditation?
In the Third Meditation, Descartes aims to establish the existence of God through his "Trademark Argument." He argues that the idea of God as a perfect being must have originated from a perfect being and could not have been created by imperfect humans. This leads him to conclude that God exists and is the guarantor of the truth of clear and distinct ideas.
Why is the moral argument called the moral argument?
The moral argument is called that because it is an argument for the existence of God based on the existence of objective moral values and duties. It suggests that the existence of moral values points towards the existence of a moral lawgiver, which is typically identified as God.
What does Cartesian philosophy conclude about the existence of God?
Descartes's major work is Meditations on First Philosophythe third of which deals with the existence of God as an 'effect'Rene' Descartes was a mathematician and idealist philosopher. His major impact on philosophy and religion was his ontological proof of the existence of God.
