Download Descartes' First Proof of the Existence of God in Meditation III: and more Lecture notes Literature in PDF only on Docsity! Descartes’ First Proof of the Existence of God in Meditation III: Axiom: There is at least as much reality in the efficient and total cause as in the effect of that cause. Axiom: Something cannot arise from nothing. Axiom: What is more perfect cannot arise from what is less perfect. Definition: The nature of an idea is such that, of itself, it requires no formal reality except what it derives from my thought. Definition: Objective mode of being belongs to ideas by their nature; formal mode of being belongs to the causes of ideas. Definition: God is a substance that is infinite, independent, omniscient, omnipotent… (1) In order for a given idea to contain such and such objective reality, it must surely derive it from some cause which contains at least as much formal reality as there is objective reality in the idea. (2) There must be a cause which contains formally all the reality which is present objectively in the idea. (3) If the objective reality of an idea cannot come from me, it must come from something else. (4) The attributes of God are such that they could not have come from me. (5) They must have come from God; therefore, God exists. Descartes’ Second Proof of the existence of God: Axiom: The same power and action are needed to preserve something as would be needed to create something anew. Axiom: There must be at least as much reality in the cause as in the effect. (1) Do I have enough power to preserve my own existence? (2) No – for I am simply a thinking thing; and if I had that power, I would know it. It must be a power outside me. (3) Since I am a thinking thing, what created me must also be a thinking thing and possess all the ideas of perfections of God. (4) Parents can’t be responsible for creating and preserving me. (5) It must be God who created me and gave me the ideas of a perfect God. Descartes’ Argument in Meditation V (The Ontological Argument): (1) The essence of God is to be a perfect being. (That is, I cannot conceive of God as not being a perfect being.) (2) Existence is a perfection. (3) Therefore, God exists. (Or I cannot conceive of God as not existing.)
