DQ20

Class Responses and Instructor Comments

>From dorota:

He has this strong inherent idea, he thinks it would be even impossible to have this stong innate thought about God without (God's) real existance.

> rn says: This is true, and it looks like a seed of Descartes' argument for God's existence in the third meditation, which we did not study. I'm looking in this question not for the argument, but for an account of the source of the idea.

>From W Y Ng:

"Existence is part of the essence of God, just as 180 degrees is part of the essence of triangle." Descartes' idea of God comes from innate ideas.

>rm says: Both true. The first, though, alludes to an argument for God's existence, in MV (see Q30), not the source of the idea. The second refers to a classification of the type of idea it is. We're still looking for the origin of this idea!

>From natalie v:

Ii know that it is innate but could you tell me why because i am still confused.

>rm says:
Here's one way to look at it: Before Descartes provides an argument for the existence of God, in MIII, the only of which he has certainty is his own existence, i.e. the existence of his mind. So the only place to look for more knowledge would be inside that mind. Anything else, since it would come from outside himself, and is thus subject both to the doubts of illusion and dreams and to the errors of naive acceptance of the resemblance hypothesis, couldn't be knowledge!
All that aside, there's a metaphor which Descartes uses at the end of MIII which is basically what I'm looking for in this question.

>From Avrohom:

Descartes came to the conclusion that there is a G-d just as he came to the conclusion of the cogito. He could not have infered this through his senses (which are not reliable) nor was the concept of G-d produced by Descartes, like he would produce the answer of 2+2. Through the process of elimination, Descartes came to the conclusion that there is, in fact, a G-d with his innate powers.

>rm says: Your first sentence is fine, and the second is right,except for your example: 2+2=4 is not an example of a belief we can produce ourselves, since shen we produce an idea ourselves, we can make it any way we want to make it, while 2+2 has to equal 4. (See Q29). The phrase 'with his innate powers' is misleading, since we are here talking about the innate idea of God in our minds. In addition, it would be best in an answer to this question to discuss the metaphor Descartes uses.

>From anna grier:
Existence is to God as a mountain is to a valley and Descartes has an idea within that God exists, and that his existence depends on God's existing.

>rm says: The part about the 'idea within' is close. Focus on the question, and explain.

Descartes Reading Guide 20. From where does Descartes' idea of God come?		Back to Descartes Reading Guide Back to Philosophy 101 Home Next Question
Enter your response to the above question, or to a previous response, in the form below, or use this email link. I will post your response on the right, and comment if I think I can be helpful. When emailing, instead of using the form, please indicate the question number. When using the form below, if you neglect to enter your name or email, I won't know who you are.	Class Responses and Instructor Comments >From dorota: He has this strong inherent idea, he thinks it would be even impossible to have this stong innate thought about God without (God's) real existance. > rn says: This is true, and it looks like a seed of Descartes' argument for God's existence in the third meditation, which we did not study. I'm looking in this question not for the argument, but for an account of the source of the idea. >From W Y Ng: "Existence is part of the essence of God, just as 180 degrees is part of the essence of triangle." Descartes' idea of God comes from innate ideas. >rm says: Both true. The first, though, alludes to an argument for God's existence, in MV (see Q30), not the source of the idea. The second refers to a classification of the type of idea it is. We're still looking for the origin of this idea! >From natalie v: Ii know that it is innate but could you tell me why because i am still confused. >rm says: Here's one way to look at it: Before Descartes provides an argument for the existence of God, in MIII, the only of which he has certainty is his own existence, i.e. the existence of his mind. So the only place to look for more knowledge would be inside that mind. Anything else, since it would come from outside himself, and is thus subject both to the doubts of illusion and dreams and to the errors of naive acceptance of the resemblance hypothesis, couldn't be knowledge! All that aside, there's a metaphor which Descartes uses at the end of MIII which is basically what I'm looking for in this question. >From Avrohom: Descartes came to the conclusion that there is a G-d just as he came to the conclusion of the cogito. He could not have infered this through his senses (which are not reliable) nor was the concept of G-d produced by Descartes, like he would produce the answer of 2+2. Through the process of elimination, Descartes came to the conclusion that there is, in fact, a G-d with his innate powers. >rm says: Your first sentence is fine, and the second is right,except for your example: 2+2=4 is not an example of a belief we can produce ourselves, since shen we produce an idea ourselves, we can make it any way we want to make it, while 2+2 has to equal 4. (See Q29). The phrase 'with his innate powers' is misleading, since we are here talking about the innate idea of God in our minds. In addition, it would be best in an answer to this question to discuss the metaphor Descartes uses. >From anna grier: Existence is to God as a mountain is to a valley and Descartes has an idea within that God exists, and that his existence depends on God's existing. >rm says: The part about the 'idea within' is close. Focus on the question, and explain.
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