Descartes and God

Paper Summary:

This paper argues that Descartes does not commit a vicious circle when he argues that the clear and distinct perception that a non-deceiving God exists and that clear and distinct perceptions are true because a non-deceiving God exists. It also reviews Descartes' arguments for clear and distinct perception with respect to God's existence in the third meditation as well as Descartes arguments for a non-deceitful God, also in the third meditation. Before synthesizing these arguments and showing that Descartes' theory of perception does not commit a vicious circle, the paper uses Descartes arguments in the fourth meditation to show that error in the mind's reasoning is not the fault of God, but the fault the mind's will or recollection.

From the Paper:

"So, the question now arises in the third meditation as to what has the ability to give the mind a clear and distinct perception of matter, if the mind cannot derive a clear and distinct perception of matter by referring to its own properties as a thinking substance. Descartes answers this question by stating, "I understand by the name 'God' a certain substance that is infinite, independent, supremely intelligent, and supremely powerful, and that created me along with everything else that exists--if anything else exists" (Ariew and Watkins 38). So, because the mind does not have the properties within itself to directly perceive matter, God must exist because only God has infinite independence, power, and knowledge with which to create two separate, distinct, and independent substances. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Descartes, Rene. "Meditations on First Philosophy". Modern Philosophy. Ariew, Roger & Eric Watkins eds. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998. 22-80.

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