Descartes And The Existence Of God Meditation Iii Essay, Research Paper
Descartes and the Existence of God
Meditation III
The existence of God has been a question since the idea of God was even conceived. Rene Descartes tries to prove God’s existence, and to show that there is without a doubt something external to one?s own existence. Decartes is looking for a definite certainty, a foundation for which he can base all of his beliefs and know that they are, indeed, true. Descartes’ overall project is to find a definite certainty on which he can base all his knowledge and beliefs, including the existence of God.
One might infer that Descartes is a ?non-believer? in the existence of a heavenly being, a God that presides over humans and gives us faith. However, this is simply not the case. Descartes focus is on trying to destroy all of the uncertainties that have come about by the attempted scientific explanations of such a supreme being or God. For Descartes, and all of the other believers in the world, the existence of God provides a convenient answer to unexplained questions, while never providing answers to the questions about God himself. This is evidenced a great deal in the circular argument made by Descartes in the Meditations. What follows, is a brief account of the third meditation in which shows Descartes? response to the question, ?What is God?? Can one perceive or confirm the existence of an idea that is external to him, an idea such as God?
In order to determine the answer we must start by understanding the ways in which we can conclude an objects? existence. Descartes explains three ways in which a person might come to such a conclusion? the first, through nature; the second, through feeling a value that is independent of the will of the object; and the third, the objective reality of an idea, or the ?cause and effect profile.? Descartes provides us with the idea that an object will have an effect when it stems from a legitimate cause, or an initial idea that precedes with equal or superior properties in one?s intellect. In other words, the mind generates thoughts and ideas about a physical form, and develops a reality for this form, through previous schema and beliefs. ?And although an idea may give rise to another idea, this regress cannot, nevertheless, be infinite; we must in the end reach a first idea, the cause of which is, as it were, the archetype in which all the reality that is found objectively in these ideas is contained formally.?
The only problem with Descartes? (unsound in my opinion) argument is when the existence of God arises as a notion, for there is no form of idea for the notion of God to originate from. Is it possible, then, to create the idea of a finite being from an infinite existence, outside of the physical and mental, in a state all of it?s own? Descartes? argument quickly answers that the response would be that a finite being cannot completely, if at all, comprehend the ideas that would cause God to exist, and therefore the basis for doubt is lost in an intangible proof. Additionally, the mere fact that he believes that there is a God provides yet another piece of proof towards His existence. This must be true, according to Descartes, with the provision that the idea and belief must have been placed in his consciousness by an outside factor.
The final factor that convinces Descartes that there is a God is the fact of his own existence, along with the fact that he, himself, is not a God. This belief stems from the theory that if a man is independent from all other existence and ideas about forms and matter, then he has the ability to become infinite. Descartes says that if he himself were the ?author of his own being? and independent of all existence, then he would attain a Godly level of existence. Ultimately, it is his own dependence on another being that proves to him that there is a God. Many people are bred into religion, or borne into a set of ideas about a particular infinite being. The interesting problem with most types of faith in this manner is that the scripture that has been deemed to come from your god is also the proof that God exists. This is the type of circular definition that Descartes is trying to avoid at all costs.
Basically, it?s like using a word in it?s own definition, or ?the definition of an apple is an apple.? The argument begins to get a little bit ambiguous when he begins discussing the uncertainty of his beliefs. He is, as he claims, as certain of the idea of the sun, the moon, the earth, even his own rational thought, as he is certain of God?s existence. The most troubling part of the entire section is the understanding of formal and objective reality – remembering his theory that existence is perfection. To understand that to have an idea is to exist is one case, but take for instance the man whom can think, just as someone thinks of God, of a being so absolutely imperfect, clearly and distinctly, that it does not exist. However, according to Descartes, since it has an objective reality, it must follow that it also must have a formal reality as well. Clearly, this is an impossibility which I have yet to ascertain.
It is through this logic that Descartes attempts, rather unsuccessfully in my mind, to prove that the existence of God is not a rare leap of faith but rather a certainty in it?s own perfect, unquestionable and ultimately non-comprehensible way. He was certainly arrogant, though, in his thoughts and writings, ascribing characteristics to a being that he himself will never understand fully. In my mind, Descartes exceeded in many parts of his argument, but failed to prove from a logical standpoint the existence of a higher being. We, as humans, will take to heart his ideals, but will continue to work on leaps of faith and the prescribed scriptures and circular definitions of our own religions.
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