Opening up into the 5th Meditation, Descartes prompts his discussion with material objects. Instead of inquiring into the things themselves, he explores the ideas regarding material things; summarizing that he can imagine characteristics such as size, shape, and position. Understanding there’s abstract shapes that don’t exist in the physical reality, he implies that they don’t rely on intellect, yet don’t exhibit nonexistence.
Descartes illustrates this claim stating that there are no triangles, yet they have an essence; that if no triangle has ever existed outside the intellect, triangles will have a distinct, independent substance. Descartes also denies that he’s understood the complexion of triangles through his senses since he can imagine shapes that he’s never seen and derive their properties clearly and distinctly with those of a triangle.
After reasoning that a triangle must have all the properties he would attribute to it, since the triangle exists as property of his intellect whose properties he clearly and distinctly perceives, Descartes analogizes that, since it’s in God’s essence to be a supremely perfect being and the very concept of existence is a perfection itself, God must exist in the same clear and distinct perception as a triangle. Therefore, Descartes implies that at the very least, then, the existence of God needs to be as certain as the properties of mathematical concepts and shapes since he can solve them similarly because some perceptions may be evident, like the fact that a triangle has three sides while some may require more thought, such as the Pythagorean Theorem.
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Therefore Descartes finally asserts that God is the provider of his clear and distinct perceptions. Be that as it may, Descartes understands there are situations when he doesn’t clearly perceive truths. In such circumstances, Descartes admits doubt creeps in, if not for God since Descartes realizes it’s not God’s nature to deceive him but bestow him with unconditional understanding with a will that would assent to clear and distinct perceptions.
Descartes goes on to claim that judgments where he is mistaken aren’t clearly and distinctly perceived by the mind; and even if he were dreaming he can’t be mistaken with respect to a clear and distinct perception. With that in hand, Descartes’ general argument boils down to the conceptualization that it’s because of this self-evident truth essence can lead to existence that God exists in his own essence of how his status portrays himself.
References
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Descartes’ Epistemology
- Encyclopedia Britannica – René Descartes
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Existence
- Philosophy Basics – René Descartes
- Study.com – Descartes’s Meditations: Summary & Analysis
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – Descartes’ Theory of Ideas
