Meditation 5: One the essence of material things; and, once more of God, that He exists. Flashcards
what is the essence of material things?
- that they have necessary a prior truths eg a triangle has to have 3 sides, 3 angles which add up to 180. However we cannot draw/the perfect triangle does not physically exist due to human error
- all things have the essence of extension even if they don’t exist.
- what is the essence of God-perfection
the ontological arguement
St Anselm
been known as the ontological argument since Kant in the 18th century.
Premise 1: I have an idea of God, that is to say, an idea of a perfect being
Premise 2: A perfect being must have all perfections
Premise 3: existence is part of perfection
conclusion: God exists
Problem-the idea that existence is part of perfection-the perfect triangle can’t exist.
what is Gaunilo’s Objection
The perfect island
premise 1: I have an idea of a perfect island
premise 2: a perfect island must have all perfections
premise 3: existence is a perfection
conclusion:the perfect island exists
But the perfect island clearly doesn’t exist-disproving Descartes argument.
how does Descartes explain that existence is part of perfection
God must exist in the same way the triangle must have 3 sides or that you cannot have a mountain without a valley.
what would happen to the ontological argument if I didn’t consider God at all?
Descartes view of people: imperfect and finite evil is necessary to know what good is and much in the same way God is necessary for us to recognise we are imperfect and finite.
existence is not a predicate
Knat’s objection
-best friend’s properties: funny, interesting, clever, kind.
-was one of the properties existence? No, because existence isn’t what makes your best friend your best friend. They just happen to exist-it is not a necessary property.
the same for God:
God is perfect and perfect is omnipotent, benevolent etc. Possible to list the properties of God without existence. Existence isn’t a property. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist.
