Substance Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Substance - Term Paper Example Before discussing Descartes’ Proofs for God’s existence, it is necessary to discuss first his theory of ideas and causes. Ideas have three main features. First, where they come from, what kind of reality they have, and what they refer to. Under the first feature, Descartes enumerates three kinds of ideas, namely, innate, factitious and adventitious. Descartes defines innate ideas as those with which we are born with and which are self-evident to reason. An example here is mathematical ideas. Factitious ideas on the other hand are inventions of our imagination. An example here is mermaids, unicorns, and the like. And adventitious ideas are those which are based on sense perceptions. They come to us externally, which nature seem to suggest to us, and come despite our will. Under the second feature, Descartes defines these having an actual or formal reality. Herein, for as long as our mind can conceive of it clearly and distinctly, they exist â€Å"actually† in my m ind. And under the third feature, Descartes claims that they possess â€Å"objective reality† i.e. they refer to objects which exist externally to us. Furthermore, Descartes claims that only innate and adventitious ideas possess objective reality, and that in order for something to exist, they must possess both actual and formal reality, as well as objective reality. Moreover, Descartes defines an idea as an effect of causes. ... Given as such, let us take a look at Descartes’ proofs for the existence of God. First Argument The first argument he proposes is based on this theory of ideas and causes, as well as his doctrine of innate ideas. The argument goes as follows: 1. By definition, ideas are the effects of causes 2. There must be as much reality in the cause to that of its effect 3. Something cannot come from nothing 4. Something more perfect cannot come from something less perfect 5. X has a clear and distinct idea of God as a perfect being 6. Since ideas are effects of causes, then something must have caused X having such an idea 7. Since there must be as much reality in the cause to that of its effect, and since something less perfect cannot come from some thing more perfect, then God exists as the only possible cause for X’s idea of God as a perfect being, because 8. God exists as the only possible cause for X’s idea of God as a perfect being for, something cannot come from nothin g. Furthermore, Descartes backs up his argument using his doctrine of innate ideas, which claims that God imprinted this idea, of a perfect being, in us from the moment we were born. So God must be the cause of X’s idea of God. And X’s idea of God originates from God alone. For, â€Å"having proven that God exists, God would not deceive us in what is self evident to reason He has given us† (Lavine 105). 9. Therefore, God exists Objection to the First Argument Based on Descartes first argument for the existence of God, it seems that it does not suffice to prove that God exists. For, it is possible that another person, other than God, is the cause of X’s having an