Descartes on Existence and Thought - 818 Words

Descartes’ ultimate goal in reaching his conclusions stem from the way he thought. As long as there was no doubt to reach a conclusion, he was right; so, his process of radical doubt is fully employed in his Meditations. Dismissing all knowledge that could be doubted however slight, Descartes sought out to find knowledge that held absolute certainty through questioning. His ultimate question, however, do we actually exist? How do we know? In his Meditations, one feels that Descartes is sitting around pondering ideas, and becomes aware that hes being aware. He is interested in this state of awareness, and notices hes thinking about something or another. He believes or hypothesizes that either God Is (existing), and is Good, hence would not deceive him; a bad force or entity might be trying to trick him; in either case he, Descartes, is thinking. He believes he has some control over what he thinks; thus, God is not fooling him and an evil force is not controlling him. So Descart es asserts, if one thinks, one has to be somebody to be thinking, so one exists. This conclusion is brought up through a process known as radical questioning or radical doubting; Descartes is trying to find something that cannot be found doubtful. He decides he is (exists), and that he is neither influenced totally by either God or a malevolent force. But how does Descartes reach these conclusions? In Meditation I and Meditation II, Descartes also argues that our conventional experiences of theShow MoreRelatedDiscourse on Descartes Skeptical Method1672 Words   |  7 PagesSebastian Gumina Paper Topic #1 Descartes’ Skeptical Method Descartes’ method offers definitive conclusions on certain topics, (his existence, the existence of God)but his reasoning is not without error. He uses three arguments to prove existence (His and God’s) that attempt to solidify his conclusions. For his method to function seamlessly, Descartes needs to be consistent in his use of the method, that is, he must continue to doubt and challenge thoughts that originate in his own mind. Read MoreOntological Arguments for the Existence of God Essay1603 Words   |  7 PagesIn the fifth Meditation, Descartes presents his second argument for the existence of God. Descartes holds that existence is perfection and so, it can be a predicate for God. I will first explain what is the ontological argument for the existence of God. Next, I will discuss why Descartes decides to bring God into His method of philosophy. I will then try to argue that existence is a perfection and that as a predicate for God, existence reveal certain true about God. Ontological argument tries toRead MoreDescartes: Proofs of God/Deception and Error Essay1093 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes: Proofs of God/Deception and Error Instructions: First: Analyze and evaluate the two proofs of Gods existence. How are they different? 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Rather than attempting to affirm his existence, I thought that a procedure exactlyRead More Descartes Meditations Ontological Argument Essay1010 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes Meditations Ontological Argument Descartess fifth Meditation argument for Gods existence relies on an untenable notion that existence is a perfection and that it can be predicated of God. I shall first explain what Descartess argument for Gods existence is, and then present his argument in propositional form. I will then attempt to support the argument that existence is neither a perfection nor a predicate of God. In our thoughts we apprehend ideas of things. These ideas mayRead MoreEssay on Descartes Proof of Gods Existence1247 Words   |  5 PagesThe existence of God has always been an arguable topic. Descartes’ however, believed that he had proof of God’s existence through an intense analysis of the mind. Throughout this paper I will discuss what he has provided as proof and some of the complications that arise throughout his argument. You can find Descartes’ proof of the existence of God in the Third Meditation. Although to understand this argument you have to look at his previous meditation where he begins to build his argument with theRead MoreDescartes Epistemology1696 Words   |  7 PagesEpistemology ------------------------------------------------- Carefully explain Descartes’ cogito and his attempt to build his knowledge structure from the ground up. (Be as succinct as possible.) Does Descartes succeed or fail in that attempt? Justify your answer in full. Descartes’ Epistemology This essay attempts to explain Descartes’ epistemology of his knowledge, his â€Å"Cogito, Ergo Sum† concept (found in the Meditations), and why he used it [the cogito concept] as a foundation when buildingRead MoreThe Theory Of God s The Same Meditation 1533 Words   |  7 Pagesevil genius does not want to be known, so it tricks Descartes and everybody into thinking that a subject with the name of God may be the true creator. He did not prove otherwise throughout his Meditations. The questions of whether or not God exists has not been proven with profound proof. He many have been deceived all throughout his Mediations. In the same Meditation, Descartes raises the idea of the existence of human beings. Their existence derived from a infinite substance, which is God. GodRead More Renà © Descartes Argument on the Existence of God Essay1528 Words   |  7 PagesRenà © Descartes Argument on the Existence of God The problem with Renà © Descartes argument about the existence of God has to do with his rationalist deductive reasoning. Descartes deduces that truth about the existence of God lies within his idea of a perfect God and Gods essence (as a perfect being who must exist in order to be perfect). A rationalist philosopher, Descartes discounts human knowledge as a product of our sensory data (our senses) but supports the epistemological stance thatRead MoreDescartes s Meditations On First Philosophy986 Words   |  4 Pageswhat makes us who we are. What is it inside of us that allows us to exist? Sometimes the answer is as simple as looking inwards, or as Renà © Descartes would call it, meditation. These ‘meditations’ are moments of reflection, time spent with one’s thoughts, and time to figure out where one is placed within the world. During one of these meditations, Descartes creates the phrase, â€Å"cogito ergo sum†, I think, therefore I am, in his monumen tal book, Principles of Philosophy, though it was written in another