Download Descartes reliance on the role of God – evaluation

Descartes reliance on the role of
God – evaluation
Descartes reliance on the role of God –
evaluation
• Cartesian Circle is implicit in the Trademark Argument – the Clear
and Distinct Rule is justified by appealing to God and God is justified
by appealing to the Clear and Distinct rule.
• Trade mark argument relies on the premise that we all have innate
ideas of God. Problems: what does this mean? / how can this be
proven empirically?/ what about atheists?.
• The premise that there must be as much reality in the cause as in
the effect is questionable: evolution describes how conscious
entities can evolve from non-conscious ones.
• Problem of evil questions the ‘all-goodness’ or benevolence of God
• Might there be a benevolent God who allows us to be fooled for His
own mysterious purposes?
• Ontological argument; does this break the Cartesian circle?
• Is the Ontological argument sound?
• All Descartes arguments rely on the existence of a benevolent God
–so without God everything collapses.
Descartes reliance on the role of
God – evaluation
• Trade mark argument relies on the
premise that we all have innate ideas of
God.
• Problems: what does this mean? / how
can this be proven empirically?/ what
about atheists?.
Descartes reliance on the role of
God – evaluation
• The premise that there must be as much
reality in the cause as in the effect is
questionable: evolution describes how
conscious entities can evolve from nonconscious ones.
Descartes reliance on the role of
God – evaluation
• Problem of evil questions the ‘allgoodness’ or benevolence of God
Descartes reliance on the role of
God – evaluation
 Might there be a benevolent God who
allows us to be fooled for His own
mysterious purposes?
Descartes reliance on the role of
God – evaluation
 Ontological argument; does this break the
Cartesian circle?
 Is the Ontological argument sound?
Descartes reliance on the role of
God – evaluation
 All Descartes arguments rely on the
existence of a benevolent God –so without
God everything collapses.