Thesis on "Descartes 5th Meditation"

Thesis 3 pages (1111 words) Sources: 1

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Descartes' Fifth Meditation and God's Existence

In the Fifth Meditation, Descartes turns to consider what kind of certainty he can attain regarding ideas of objects that may exist materially outside the mind. He finds within himself "countless ideas of things which even though they may not exist anywhere outside me still . . . have their own true and immutable natures" (at VII: 64). This leads him to a contemplation of the triangle. The idea of a triangle as an object of thought is an analogy used in the meditation to support an ontological proof for God's existence. This paper will discuss this argument critically and present counterarguments that suggest that Descartes' ontological position fails. He shows only that an idea of God is possible, not that God actually exists.

Descartes sees that the triangle has an essence that is immutable and eternal, whether or not it exists outside his thought. A triangle and its properties -- for example, its shape with three sides whose interior angles necessarily add up to 180 degrees -- do not depend on a mind for their essence. He can clearly and distinctly perceive a triangle even without having had sense experience of it. Therefore, it is certainly true since clear and distinct perception is his definition of truth. This does not, however, solve the problem of whether the triangle actually exists outside the mind (realism) or is just purely inside the mind (psychologism). It simply means that a triangle with its essential properties is clearly and distinctly conceivable.

When he applies this same reasoning to the idea of God, he finds that he has the idea of a supremely perfect being in his mind already, clearly and distinctly, as a mental perception. This clear and distinct idea he has of this object (God) is the true nature or essence of God. It includes that God is singular, always exists, and, most significantly, necessarily exists outside the mind. He asserts realism. Descartes makes this argument because "it is quite evident that existence can no more be separated from the essence of God than the fact that its three angles equal two right angles can be separated from the essence of a triangle" (VII: 66). In his view, it is contradictory to think of a supremely perfect being that lacked existence. In other words, one cannot think of God as perfect without supposing God's existence.

If someone objected that God does not necessarily possess perfection -- pointing for example to the Greek gods who were almighty but not perfect -- Descartes would reply that the idea in him (Descartes) is of a perfect God, not an imperfect one. Descartes cannot conceive of God without God possessing all perfections (singularity, eternity, and real existence). Descartes' response does not answer the objection. All it does is reaffirm the idea that he insists on holding of God. The word "God" does not necessarily imply a supremely perfect being.

For another thing, existence is not necessarily a perfection. It is merely the precondition for the presence of perfections. If God is actually real, he would need existence. But that reality is exactly what is under dispute. There is no reason based on the idea itself to assume that real existence is implied in the idea. Necessary existence need not be implied by any concept. Descartes… READ MORE

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