Descartes attempts to prove the existence of a supreme, all knowing being, he calls "God", in several different ways. Each attempt, however, seems to revolve around the notion that what we clearly and distinctly perceive to be true is true. This underlying notion of clear and distinct thinking is what takes Descartes the furthest in his meditations and at the same time is what takes his critics the furthest in their arguments against him.
Descartes outlines a process in order to come to the conclusion that God does necessarily exist. His most striking point is his concept of cause and effect. Descartes states that in a cause and effect relationship, the cause must have at least, if not more, reality than the effect it governs. He concludes two equally important concepts from this. First, Descartes introduces the notion that something cannot come from nothing. And second, he shows us that which is more perfect cannot be the result of something less perfect. What follows from this is that I am obviously not a perfect being, thus the notion of a perfect being, and more simply that of perfection, that I have in my mind cannot originate from my own thought. Furthermore, the notion of a perfect thing must have come from something perfect which we now know must be outside of me. .
The argument provided above seems very logical and capable of being true, but one problem may arise. What makes this notion of perfection any more capable of being looked at in the cause and effect manner than a fabricated idea? That is to say, what leads Descartes to believe this idea of perfection must come from something outside him, thus possessing more truth, rather than a fabricated idea? The answer is Descartes" saving grace, as well as the most important principle of all his meditation; this, the notion of a supreme being who is in and of itself perfect, is the most clear and distinct of any idea we could ever fathom.
Existence of God God exists or he doesn't. ... It is far from a controversial question, for if God does exist, then our actions in life matter, if he does not exist, then our faith does not matter at all. In my belief system, God does exist. ... Whether or not he exists, does not matter to me. ... Therefore do these planets exist or not? ...
Some believe that God does not exist, and Auschwitz was an example that proves that he does not exist. This is probably the simplest answer to the question, because why would God allow something like this to proceed, if he existed? Also the God we think might not be the real God that exists. Others believed that God had turned his back on humanity (he does not care) and if that is the case why even believe in this God? Still there are others who might think that god does exist, and either caused (or at least permitted) the destruction of the Jews, the Gypsies and the other victims. ...
Does God Exist? ... Ontological arguments are a priori, which show that God exists without appealing to a sense experience. ... Therefor God must exist, why you might ask? If the greatest thing that we can conceive does not exist than we can still conceive the greatest thing that does exist, and that would be God. ... In Descartes "the Argument from Perfection" he reasons that if existence is one of the perfections and God has all the perfections, then God must exist. ...
EXISTENCE OF GOD Does God Exist? ... In my life I myself have always came to the question does God really exist. ... Her opinion is that God does exist. ... Christianity is a religion that strongly believes that God does exist. ... In conclusion, does God really Exist? ...
Does God Exist? ... In my life I myself have always came to the question does God really exist. ... Her opinion is that God does exist. ... Christianity is a religion that strongly believes that God does exist. ... In conclusion, does God really Exist? ...
Abstract: This paper addresses some issues on whether God exists. ... If God exists in a different dimension that is out of human conceivability, then God may not be bounded to have a beginning or end because Time may not exist at all in that dimension. So long as God does not exist in the same dimension as ours, the being of God is not bounded by any rules under human perception. ... Otherwise, is God capable of doing evil for it is one of the things he created? ... Or if God is not capable of doing evil, is this a limit of his omnipotence? ...
Then how does God determine as to where our birth should take place. ... Despite what conclusions I may draw, Russell clearly states that he "does not believe in God and in immortality; and secondly I do not think that Christ was the best and wisest of men." ... Regardless, there is evil present; therefore can God exist? ... For example, in nature things could either exist or not exist. It would be impossible for these things to always exist, therefore one day they may not exist, and being this case, at one time, they did not exist. ...
Does God Exist? When the question of God's existence arises, there are basically two answers, He exists(on some level or another) or he doesn't. ... If he did not exist, then he would not be perfect...Assuredly that, than which nothing greater can be conceived cannot exist in understanding alone." ... This does seem to be true if we follow our earthly "rules" and use our finite judgement. ... I know I do. ...
Descartes" argumentation is flawed and does not adequately prove the existence of God. ... Descartes, a famous rationalist thinker, insisted that God does exist, and utilized rationalistic premise to deduce his proof for God's existence. ... From this statement it can be deduced that God does not exist. ... Therefore, Descartes concludes that God necessarily exists. ... In doing so, he is assuming that his judgement is as perfect as the idea of God. ...
