The Existence Of Beliefs Beyond Doubt Essay - 2214 Words

Renà © Descartes set out in his writing of Meditations on First Philosophy to prove the existence of beliefs beyond doubt. He begins his first meditation by casting all things into doubt, claiming that there is no reason to believe that anything exists at all, including the external world, God, and even his own being. Descartes believes that anything which cannot be cast into doubt must certainly be true, and then goes on to introduce an argument which attempts to prove the existence of God. Though reasonable, to some extent, at the time of its original proposal, his justification has become notorious for its faulty logic. Descartes’ argument in Meditation Three is widely referred to as the Trademark Argument, as he claims that God left his trademark on humans when he created them, as is stated, â€Å"And indeed it is no surprise that God, in creating me, should have placed this idea in me to be, as it were, the mark of the craftsman stamped on his work†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Descar tes 51). Throughout the meditation, Descartes presents serious problems in his reasoning behind many of his proofs; he also employs circular reasoning to justify his main points. At its core, the Trademark Argument holds some key strengths, but does not serve Descartes’ intent of establishing belief beyond doubt and is therefore ineffective in proving the existence of God. Descartes establishes several proofs throughout his Trademark Argument which aim to confirm the ultimate conclusion that there is a God, and in thisShow MoreRelatedDiscourse on Descartes Skeptical Method1672 Words   |  7 PagesDescartes’ Skeptical Method Descartes’ method offers definitive conclusions on certain topics, (his existence, the existence of God)but his reasoning is not without error. He uses three arguments to prove existence (His and God’s) that attempt to solidify his conclusions. 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