Descartes’ Argument on the Existence of God Essay
Descartes’ Argument on the Existence of God
Philosophical arguments have been postulated by numerous sociologists and scholars over the years so as to explain the existence of a given phenomenon or spectacle. Rene Descartes is one of the most renowned and legendary philosophers who has created numerous arguments on various aspects and concepts Descartes’ Argument on the Existence of God Essay. The argument about the existence of God is one of Descartes’ popular expression of thoughts on what he alleged about God being in existence. Descartes’ resolved to bring God into the picture so that he could illustrate that God is the main reason for the survival of mankind. This philosopher goes ahead to describe God as a perfect being who has the supreme power to secure a long-lasting certainty for individuals. This paper is a philosophical essay that gives one of Descartes’ arguments on the existence of God.
Rene Descartes’ gave two main arguments for the existence of God and his explanation that God truly exists. The ontological argument is one of Descartes’ explanations that applies philosophy to illustrate that God exists. This argument is recorded in his fifth meditation where Descartes’ makes a strong acclamation that God truly must exist (Schechtman 2014, p. 489) Descartes’ Argument on the Existence of God Essay.
Descartes’ does this by affirming that God is an infinite being who is also perfect in nature. He goes ahead to state that there certain properties that God has that makes him inherently flawless and unblemished. Descartes’ gives the classic example of how perfection is viewed as being good and imperfection is viewed as being bad (Schechtman 2014, p. 489).
As such, a perfect being is one who has all the properties and qualities associated with being good and divine. The only being who qualifies to be described in such a manner is God Himself. The ontological argument that Descartes’ gives states that the existence of God can be deduced from much more that just mere ideologies and concepts (Wee 2012, p. 26). This argument continues to state that Descartes distinctively and clearly perceived the sense of belonging to an environment that is fused with divinity. Descartes’ understanding that God exists is highly dependent on nature and how shapes and numbers serve a minimal role in illustrating this fact. According to this French philosopher, the existence of God can be seen in nature in the same way that shapes like circles and triangles are explained through geometry (Wee 2012, p. 26) Descartes’ Argument on the Existence of God Essay.
The ontological argument uses the sizes of shapes and angles to exemplify the perfection of God. Descartes asserts that the presence of God and His ultimate existence is through a supreme process that makes Him a perfect being. Therefore, God and perfection are inseparable since God stands for all things perfect Agostini 2015, p. 261). This means that if God did not exist, then there would be no form of perfection as everything in nature would be imperfect (Agostini 2015, p. 261). As such, Descartes argues that the notion of a perfect God who is supreme and almighty is comprehensible and articulate. According to God’s nature, Descartes further emphasizes that God must truly exist because all evidence in nature points to this fact.
Additionally, the existence of God is supported by Descartes’ philosophical arguments which states that God is a supreme being who cannot be moved because He did not have to be caused. Essentially, this means that God was not created and He came into existence through a divine and heavenly manner (David 2013, p. 38) Descartes’ Argument on the Existence of God Essay. Descartes continues to support this ontological affirmation by arguing that everything that exists always has its cause. For instance, nothing can come into being without having to be caused first. Descartes’ explains that everything that exists on this planet depended on a factor or process that brought it into its existence (Wee 2012, p. 26).
However, the case of God is different because He was not caused. This means that God is the first cause who did not have to be created because He was always there. This fact is further supported by the nature of efficient cause which is based on the claim that there no case where a person cannot explain the cause of things or processes (Wee 2012, p. 26) Descartes’ Argument on the Existence of God Essay. This is what made Descartes to admit that the first efficient cause of thins is the name that people give to God. It is through this argument that Descartes stated that he found the idea of God within him because he is not a supreme being himself (Dougherty 2002, p. 46). Ideally, this also means that the idea of God being existent revolves around nature and efficient cause.
Descartes further rearranges his argument by affirming how God is supreme and perfect at the same time. What’s more, existence is closely related to perfection and as such, God must be truly existent for all perfection to visible (Dougherty 2002, p. 47). The argument of God’s existence as described by Descartes is intertwined n two core claims of his philosophical statements. One of them is the theory of distinct ideas while the second one is the doctrine of innate ideas (Agostini 2015, p. 262). The latter is a philosophical theory that supports the premise that God is supreme and perfect. This concept also happens to be supported by most people who base their belief in God. On the other hand, the theory of distinct ideas supports the validity of Descartes’ argument about the existence of God (David 2013, p. 38).
This is because this theory claims that existence cannot be at any one time removed from the notion that God is supreme and perfect at the same time. At one point, Descartes also confesses that he cannot bring his mind into thinking that God does not exist. The bounds of his thoughts are influenced by reality on some occasions, but the fact that God exists is indisputable (Wee 2012, p. 27). The most powerful statement made by Descartes’ on the existence of God is when he states that the vital connection between existence and God himself is something that he did not come up with, but something that he has come to discover over time (Schechtman 2014, p. 491).
In conclusion, the existence of God is a topic that has formed scholarly and philosophical discussions and debates for centuries. Descartes’ is one philosopher who presented an interesting argument about the existence of God. According to Descartes, God truly exists because he is both perfect and supreme. Perfection is closely related to good while imperfection is related to bad. As such, perfection is one trait that proves God exists since He was not caused but he instead caused people and things to happen Descartes’ Argument on the Existence of God Essay. Descartes asserts that existence is much more than what we perceive as a process or untenable notion, but more of a way that people come to reality. Indeed, God is an infinite being who is perfect and supreme in every sense as illustrated by Descartes’ staunch affirmation.
References
Agostini, I 2015, ‘Descartes’s Proofs of God and the Crisis of Thomas Aquinas’s Five Ways in Early Modern Thomism: Scholastic and Cartesian Debates’, Harvard Theological Review, 108, 2, pp. 235-262, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 June 2015.
David, CR 2013, ‘The Idea of God According to Ion Petrovici’,Scientific Journal Of Humanistic Studies, 5, 8, pp. 35-40, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 June 2015.
Dougherty, MV 2002, ‘The Importance of Cartesian Triangles: A New Look at Descartes’s Ontological Argument’, International Journal Of Philosophical Studies, 10, 1, pp. 35-62, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 June 2015.
Schechtman, A 2014, ‘Descartes’s Argument for the Existence of the Idea of an Infinite Being’, Journal Of The History Of Philosophy, 52, 3, pp. 487-517, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 June 2015.
Wee, C 2012, ‘Descartes’s Ontological Proof of God’s Existence’,British Journal For The History Of Philosophy, 20, 1, pp. 23-40, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 June 2015 Descartes’ Argument on the Existence of God Essay.
