Critically analysis of Descartes’ 1st proof of the existence of God

Critically analysis of Descartes’ 1st proof of the existence of God

Descartes first argument for the existence of God is located in the Third Meditations of his First Philosophy. We might tentatively entitle Descartes’ first argument for the existence of God as ‘The Causal Argument’. Descartes defines God as a substance that is infinite-eternal, immutable- independent, supremely intelligent, supremely powerful and which created both myself and everything else. He cannot be the cause of any idea, either formally or eminently, Descartes reasons that he is formally a finite substance; hence he can be the cause of any idea with the objective reality of a finite substance. Since finite substances require another party to subsist, namely God and modes require a finite substance as well as God, finite substances are more real than modes. The problem lies however in the idea of God being an infinite substance; which is more real due to its absolute independence; it follows that Descartes, a finite substance, cannot be the cause of his idea of an infinite substance. This is because a finite substance does not have enough reality to be the cause of this idea, for if a finite substance were the cause of this idea, then where would it have got the extra reality? But the idea must have come from something. So something that is actually an infinite substance, namely God, must be the cause of the idea of an infinite substance. Therefore, God exists as the only possible cause of this idea.

If we see it from Descartes perspective, we might think why he thought this argument worked. What might be our first task is to find out, is if Descartes’ idea of God, is a fabrication or not, if we discover his notion of God to be, simply a fabrication, this will be a serious flaw in his argument. It would appear from the above outline of Descartes’ argument that he would reason the objective idea of God in his mind to be adventitious or innate. The key to understanding Descartes’ view of God is in understanding his definition of ‘eminent reality’, for it is on this definition that ‘properties’ and ‘substances’ are defined. Descartes views properties to be less real, or perhaps more aptly stated less independent, than substances which posses greater independence. God being defined as an infinite substance means he has a total state of independence from all other substances, this would preclude Descartes from being the cause of the objective reality of the idea of God, as Descartes does not contain as much eminent reality as the idea of God contains.  Therefore we can rule out Descartes’ objective idea of God as a fabrication, as we know a fabrication can be controlled, examined and cast aside at will. And we see from the above argument, that God cannot be redefined as, for example, a finite being, or a material being, hence it follows that this being cannot be invented by him. It would appear his idea of God is closer to being innate, as he defines the term.

Conclusion

Descartes’ first argument is based upon the notion of working from his causal ideas: since all substances rely on God to subsist, and all properties rely on substances and God to exist, it follows then that properties contain less reality than substances. God is defined as an infinite substance, which Descartes could not eminently be responsible for, as he is only a finite substance and does not present with the formal prerequisites to create such an idea objectively in his mind. Therefore Descartes reasons, God exists.  Descartes has another proof for the existence of God’s, just as God is defined as an infinite substance, which could not be produced in Descartes’ mind, he is also defined as necessarily existing, which is essential to his nature, his essence,  just as. For example, a triangle has 3 sides is essential to its nature. Descartes’ other proof for the existence of God relies upon the medieval tradition of separating essence from existence, and existence from necessary existence. All things conceivably contain existence, but only one thing contains necessary or ontological existence, and that is God.