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Descartes Proof For The Existence Of God

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Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy precisely and methodically proves the existence of God, to such a persuasive extent that Descartes is able to build upon it as a foundational conception and proof for the existence of other substances, ideas, and modes. Its persuasiveness is further evident in the strong syllogistic arguments and logical soundness presented. Moreover, it is evident how longstanding and resistant to critique the proposals are; remaining to this very influential in the fields of epistemology, theology, and metaphysics in philosophy and through showing the interrelation between these fields. Descartes is also considered a founding father for the conception of what is now considered Modern Philosophy stemming from his …show more content…

This relies on the rule of truth that if Descartes can clearly and distinctly know something; it exists. He gives knowledge this criterion based upon claims that God created his mind with two faculties; intellect (or reason) and free will (which can exist outside of the intellect). He asserts that error can only arise once we believe something outside of the intellect as we cannot perceive it clearly and distinctly. It follows that clear and distinct perception are associated with truth. Furthermore, He clearly and distinctly knows that God is attributed with embodying perfection; and perfection necessarily contains existence; God, again, therefore must exist (------). This argument for the existence of God is more versatile in its ability for Descartes to extend the principle to different substances such as finite substances and ideas and modes, which he proposes, exists following …show more content…

Marin Mersenne criticized Descartes for his method of presentation, suggesting that because he attempts to prove that God is the foundational being, he should begin with this rather than himself; which comes after God. This is a critique of Descartes use of analytic method of presentation, rather than synthetic; which would require Descartes to begin his Meditations by proving God, from which his own existence follows. Superficially, this critique sounds good, however, Descartes response in that “it does not teach the way in which things were discovered” (----) which, in Descartes mind, is key for readers in order to follow the argument and come to the same conclusion themselves, effectively refuting Mersenne’s objection as Descartes method of presentation. A more thorough and succinct critique came from Mersenne’s second set of objections in which she matter-of-factly accuses Descartes of begging the question as he suggested that knowledge depends on the clear knowledge of an existing, which he had yet to prove at that point. Descartes responds wittily to this by suggesting that by ordering it this way, and not assuming firstly the existence of God, he was acting so as to prevent himself from begging the question and that if followed carefully and precisely step by step it pieces together without question-begging, this is again, a rehashed

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