Descartes Defence for Innatism

Descartes' Trademark Argument Outline:

  1. God's existence is necessary for the idea of perfection.

  2. Perfection implies existence.

  3. Therefore, God exists as the perfect being.

Descartes Trademark Argument

This can also be used as an argument for God’s existence

God = Perfect

By perfection, I mean Omnipotent, omniscience, infinite, omnibenevolent etc…

Origin of the idea of God

Concepts are either :

  1. Made up

  2. Experience (adventitious)

  3. Innate —> from God

“Perfect” + “Infinite” is not directly experienced in the world as it doesn’t exist in the world

We cannot create the concept of God. Descartes believes in the Causal Adequacy Principle. This is a truth that cause is always greater than it’s effects. You can’t get more from less so we as imperfect beings can’t make up a perfect being.

Process of elimination… the concept of “God” is innate and because of the Causal Adequacy Principe, it must have been put there by something greater → God