Science and Religion Studies

Science and Religion Studies

Descartes and Ontological Argument

Document Type : .

Authors
Mohammad Shokry
Asieh Atapoor
Abstract
Abstract
In his ontological argument from the fifth Meditation, Descartes demonstrates God's existence based his rationalistic method and theory of innate ideas. He believes we cannot conceive that God has all perfections while excluding existence from him. God, as our innate ideas denotes it, is the infinite perfection, and such essence is necessarily existent.
Although, for Descartes, there is no real distinction between existence and essence in beings, and he accepts we can infer existence from essence, he believes that the kind of existence belonging to every essence is different from the other. This means we can infer Contingent Being from finite essence and Necessary Being (God) from the supreme and infinite essence.
Keywords
Keywords: ontological argument
causal argument
innate idea
distinction and clear perception
complete and supreme essence
Essence
existence
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