IB Philosophy Core: Descartes Meditation 5

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  • Created by: Milly
  • Created on: 28-04-13 10:09
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  • Fifth Meditation
    • Ontological argument
      • St Anselm
        • By definition God must exist since he is the greatest conceivable being
      • Uses only reason and logic
        • A priori previous argument was a posteriori
      • Triangles have an immutable essence within them - tree sides
        • All certain things have an essential nature by definition
          • They can be proven without experience
          • Existence is part of God's essential nature
            • If he did not exist he would not be perfect
        • Mountains can only exist with valleys
    • Objections
      • Gauniol's 'Perfect Island'
        • If you can conceive of a perfect island then it must exist
        • Implies that objects can be imagined into existence
      • Kant  said existence is not a property of perfection
        • For instance the difference between an amount of money that exists and that does not, is its existence not its perfection
      • God's existence would have to be accepted in order for his thoughts to be controlled

Comments

Leonie

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This is great, but "Gauniol" should be "Gaunilo" in the Objections section. 

4 stars

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