arguments‚ throughout this semester‚ I have come across various rational arguments that aim to prove the existence of God. These arguments take different philosophical approaches‚ all attempting to demonstrate the presence of a divine being through different lines of reasoning. These arguments are closely tied to what Anselm referred to as "perfect being theology." According to this concept‚ God is the most perfect being imaginable‚ possessing all perfections to the utmost extent. Now‚ let’s delve
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Introduction (33–36)‚ Descartes argues that our senses must be trustworthy because ideas that are innate to us‚ but defective‚ would not have been built into us by a God that is perfect (36). He shows this by first arguing for the existence of God‚ and from there he deduces that all of our clear and distinct ideas are innate and entirely trustworthy (36). By proving that all of our clear and distinct ideas are caused by God and that God is an infinite and perfect (non-deceptive) being‚ Descartes believes that
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Descartes argument for the existence of God is based on two main principles. This is the principle of sufficient reasoning and the principle of adequate reality. The principle of sufficient reasoning means that everything has a cause. The principle of adequate reality is followed by sufficient reasoning and means that there must be at least as much reality in the cause as the effect. An example of having at least as much reality in the cause as the effect could be studying for a test and receiving
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Descartes’ Third Meditation: Proof of God’s Existence In Rene Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy‚ Descartes is seeking to find a system of stable‚ lasting and certain knowledge‚ which he can ultimately regard as the Truth. In his methodical quest to carry out his task‚ Descartes eventually arrives at the proverbial fork in the road: how to bridge the knowledge of self with that of the rest of the world. Descartes’ answer to this is to prove the existence of God. The purpose of this essay
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René Descartes and the Existence of God In his Discourse on Method‚ French philosopher René Descartes shares his views on what he has found to be the best way for him to live life‚ and what he believes to be the ultimate purpose of living. In part of this discourse‚ Descartes explains the four metaphysical arguments that he came across during his meditations. This process‚ he states‚ begins by doubting every idea and opinion he had learned in his life that he did not already believe as clearly and
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innate‚ fictitious and adventitious. According to Descartes‚ innate ideas have always been instilled in us while fictitious and adventitious ideas are just figments of our imaginations. He states the the innate idea of Gods existence is placed in us by God himself and denies the possibility of God being fictitious or adventitious. He does state however‚ that innate beliefs must be accompanied by experiences in order to acquire optimal knowledge. Descartes’ theories and applications offer much insight
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reasoning of God. The existence‚ simplicity and will of God are simply a few topics which Aquinas explores in the Summa Theologica. Through arguments entailing these particular topics‚ Aquinas forms an argument that God has the ability of knowing and willing this particular world of contingent beings. The contrasting nature of necessary beings and contingent beings is at the heart of this debate. Aquinas sets up this argument in his discussion of whether or not God exists. His five proofs set up
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The Existence of God One of the most prominent topics that Aquinas chose to focus on was the idea of the existence of God. In his opinion‚ the existence of God was not self-evident‚ rather it had to be proven and discovered. Aquinas states that God “is that which no greater can be thought;” yet not all shared the same conclusive idea; therefore‚ God needed to be both defined and proved‚ in Aquinas’ opinion. We as humans‚ cannot start with the idea of God or with the definition‚ and by that supposition
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contested in human history than the existence of God. As modern scientific thinking continues to develop the discussion surrounding God’s existence has only intensified. In fact‚ as religion and science begin to come into conflict more frequently and people find it harder to have faith the debate has often boiled over. Personally‚ I do believe in a God‚ but I see Him a little differently than the traditional Biblical portrayal of God. One of the biggest reasons I choose to believe in God is the feeling
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Descartes constructs an argument for God’s existence on page 32-34 of his third meditation titled: Concerning God and He Exists. In this paper‚ I will summarize Descartes’s argument in my own words. Descartes is trying to find where his thoughts of God are coming from. He knows they couldn’t come from himself because for one he doubts‚ he has desires and he lacks stuff. Now‚ he is calling into question whether they are from his parents‚ but there is a problem with that interpretation too because
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