05 - Descartes' Trademark Argument

what does descartes use to try and reestablish his faith in reason and perception

god

what does descartes identify as three possible sources for an idea

outside of my mind, i have invented it, its innate

what is descartes trademark argument

i have the idea of a perfect being, the idea must have a cause since nothing is causeless, a cause must be at least as perfect as its effect, something as least as perfect as my idea must have caused it, that perfect thing (god) exist

assumptions that descartes makes in the trademark argument

all ideas must have causes, a cause must have as much reality as its effect

what do cosmological arguments usually ask

why does anything exist

what question is descartes cosmological argument trying to answer

what causes his existence

outline descartes cosmological argument

if i had caused my existence, i would have given myself all perfections. i do not have all perfections, therefore i didnt cause my own existence. a lifespan is composed of independent parts, such that one part does not entail my existing later. something is needed to keep me in existence, some cause is needed, I don’t have the power to cause my continued existence, must be some other cause

the two stages of descartes cosmological argument

would have given himself all perfections so did not cause his own existence, something needed to keep him in existence

what sort of cause is descartes talking about in his cosmological argument

a sustaining cause

how might some object to descartes need for a sustaining cause

what if im just dependent on the continued immediate state of affairs e.g. bodily processes and functions

how does this response about bodily functions keeping me in existence misunderstand descartes

it assumes my existence is my body’s existence - descartes is talking about the mind as a seperate substance

how does the cosmological argument then continue

i am a thinking thing with the idea of god, must be as much reality in the cause as the effect, what causes me must be a thinking thing with the idea of god, cannot be an infinite chain of causes

summarised cosmological argument (latter half)

some cause is needed to keep me in existence, cannot be an infinte chain of causes because what caused me also causes my continued existence, my parents/any other supposed cause of existence do not cause my continued existence, must be god