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The Existence of God: the Arguments of Locke and Descartes
Summary: Essay discusses the arguments of Locke and Descartes regarding the existence of God.
Descartes believes that God's existence is clear and distinct. God exists because the thought of God is derived from a "completely clear and distinct" idea from within his being (which he concedes is a thinking being). Having come from distinct thoughts, the idea of God can therefore never be considered a falsity. From this very distinct idea of God comes everything else that one grasps distinctly and clearly.
He states, "From the fact that I cannot think of God not existing, it follows that existence cannot be separated from God and thus that he actually exists." (298) The existence of God is something that cannot be separated, just as we cannot separate the idea of an ocean without sand. Descartes explains that man is a finite being. The mind grasps ideas mainly through its perception of such objects. Descartes expounds that he is a thinking thing. He goes on...
This section contains 1,323 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |