Rene Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy

Rene Descartes was a French philosopher who was also a Mathematician and a Scientist. He is well known for proposing the system of rectangular coordinates in Geometry. More than that, he is recognized as the father of modern Western philosophy. He changed the scope of thinking in his search for absolute truth, where he explores several crucial questions. He records his findings as Meditations on First Philosophy. In this paper, I will analyze two of the questions Rene Descartes explored: Proof of God’s existence as is in his Third and Fifth Meditations and the problem of error, as is recorded in Descartes’ Fourth Meditation.

Rene Descartes’ Proofs of God’s Existence

Before he could prove that God does exist, Descartes began his process by doubting everything, including his own existence. His goal was to determine what beliefs are true without an ounce of doubt. Since he had the ability to doubt, Descartes concluded that he is a thinking being, for he cannot doubt if he cannot think. This led to his first certitude, Cogito Ergo Sum, which translated is I think, therefore, I am. This truth became the focal point on which he would base all the other truths, including the existence of God. He provides two philosophical proofs that God exists in two meditations: Meditation III of God: That He exists, and Meditation V: Of the Essence of Material Things, and, Again, of God That He Exists. Descartes’ approach is more philosophical than it is theological so that his arguments appeal to both believers and non-believers (Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy in which are demonstrated the existence of God and the distinction between the human soul and body).

First Proof

Descartes’ first proof of God’s existence originates from his idea of a perfect being owing to his awareness that he is an imperfect being with an objective reality*. He ponders, “…how would I understand that I doubt and that I desire, that is, that I lack something and that I am not wholly perfect unless there were some idea in me of a more perfect being…?” (Descartes). Furthermore, Descartes acknowledges that the idea of God is innate; that is, it is within him because he was born with it. Therefore, since he did not put the idea in himself, then God Himself must have done it and therefore exists.

An innate idea is described as being self-evident, clear, and distinct, which to Descartes qualifies as a truth: “…now I seem to posit as a general rule that everything I very clearly and distinctly perceive is true” (Descartes). Something is clear when one cannot help noticing it and distinct when it cannot be confused with anything else. Therefore, clear and distinct ideas have a common nature-existence. Because the idea of God is clear and distinct, indeed, God exists. Descartes argues that since everything that exists is clear and distinct, then existence is perfection. Since God is a being that encompasses perfection, He necessarily exists.

Second Proof/ Ontological Proof

Descartes reasons that since his existence is not by his own hand, there must be a more powerful being than him responsible for it. Since he is an imperfect being, the being that created him must be perfect because an imperfect thing cannot come from that which is less perfect. This is because a cause must have more reality than an effect. As such, where Descartes describes himself as finite, he describes God as infinite, omniscient, and independent. Hence, he concludes that “because God is the only infinite and perfect being, therefore God exists (Descartes).” In the course of his meditation, Descartes notes that he is not entirely responsible for his well-being and preservation, and neither are his parents, further reinforcing the truth that there is a more powerful and perfect being than him. Descartes concludes this mediation by claiming that the only way he can think of God is as existing, and for that reason, existence and God are inseparable. Therefore, God necessarily exists.

Comparing Descartes’ Proofs of God’s Existence

In his first proof of God’s existence, Rene Descartes describes God’s existence as an innate idea that is clear and distinct. Clarity and distinction and the absolute determinants for the absolute truth, and therefore, existence is an absolute truth. By extension, God exists. Descartes bases his first proof on the awareness that there must be a perfect being seeing that himself, he is imperfect. I concur with Descartes that for there to exist an imperfect being, there has to be a perfect being as well, for how can you tell that something is imperfect if not by comparing it to something perfect? In the ontological argument, Descartes argues that necessary existence cannot be separated from the idea of God and uses a geometric demonstration to drive his argument. In my opinion, the first proof is more convincing.

How Descartes Explains How Humans Make Mistakes

In his quest to prove God’s existence, Descartes concluded that it “is impossible that God should ever deceive him,” seeing that He is perfect (Descartes). How, then, is it that human beings that came from Him make so many mistakes? Descartes reasoned out that there has to be other factors that cause people to err- intellect and will. He suggests that these two factors determine whether a person makes the right decision or a mistake. On further examination of both factors, Descartes expounds on the part each factor plays in a decision-making process.

Intellect is the possession of ideas. However, the number of those ideas is limited because our capacities as human beings are limited, unlike God’s, which are infinite. Descartes states that intellect does not make errors but provides us with the ideas based on which we can make decisions. Will, on the other hand, is the freedom of choice to do or not to do. Will is so boundless that it can be likened to the power of God’s will, which is perfect. Thus, the human will is just as flawless. Therefore, Descartes concludes that humans make mistakes because they possess limited intellect and limitless will. The difference in the scopes of these factors means that people often make decisions on matters for which they possess insufficient knowledge, leading to errors.

Descartes’ reasoning as to why humans make mistakes is in a big part convincing to me. For one, human beings have boundless freedom to choose one thing or the other. Just as Descartes has stated in his argument, these decisions are based on knowledge that may not be comprehensive enough so as to make a decision that is absolutely right. In other instances, our knowledge or what we think we know, may be false. Thus, it follows that a false idea will lead to an error. However, contradictory to Descartes’ assessment, I believe that intellect is not always a factor as to why human beings commit errors. This is because a person may err knowingly because they can choose to. In this case, intellect plays little to no role, since the person chooses to make a mistake despite the knowledge they possess.

Works Cited

Descartes, Rene. “Meditations on First Philosophy in which are demonstrated the existence of God and the distinction between the human soul and body.” Descartes: Selected Philosophical Writings (2010): 73-122.

Rene Descartes: Meditations on first philosophy: With selections from the objections and replies. Cambridge University Press, 2013.