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Descartes "Meditations..." Meditations On First Essay

" With that statement, Descartes proves his five-step theory that proves he exists because he is, in his words, "a thinking thing." Third Meditation have explained at sufficient length the principal argument of which I make use in order to prove the existence of God," Descartes claims. He claims that the idea of God is placed in us by God and that, if he (Descartes) exists there must have been a causation. He eliminates all other causes for his existence except God and says that, therefore, God exists.

Fourth Meditation

If his claims in the Third Meditation are true that God is the causation of everything, then how is there room for error, since God is perfection. After a long argument with himself, he determines that God's gifts to man are perfect, but it is the use of those gifts that cause the errors.

Fifth Meditation

He attempts to again prove God's existence "a priori," that is, without evidence of it.

Sixth Meditation

Since mathematics can prove that material objects...

He presents discussions on dualism, the role of skepticism, and the existence of God. Most of all, he inspired thought and doubt, curiosity and criticism, and encouraged people to think a completely new way about the existence of themselves, of God, and of their own soul.
Bibliography

Descartes, Rene. "Meditations on First Philosophy." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Trans.

Elizabeth S. Haldane. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. All. http://www.iep.utm.edu/d/descarte.htm

Meditations on First Philosophy in Focus. Ed. Stanley Tweyman. Trans. Haldane and Ross.

Milton Park, UK: Routledge, 1993.

Rene Descartes, John Cottingham. Meditations on First Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press, 1996.

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

Descartes, Rene. "Meditations on First Philosophy." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Trans.

Elizabeth S. Haldane. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. All. http://www.iep.utm.edu/d/descarte.htm

Meditations on First Philosophy in Focus. Ed. Stanley Tweyman. Trans. Haldane and Ross.

Milton Park, UK: Routledge, 1993.
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