Rene Descartes 1596-1650 Rene Descartes 1596-1650

B. A closer look at Ontological Argument1. The ontological argument is follows a more straightforwardly geometrical line ofreasoning.2. Descartes argues that God’s existence is deducible from the idea of his nature just as thefact that the sum of the interior angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles isdeducible from the idea of the nature of a triangle.3. Thus, the idea of a supremely perfect being or God without existence is unintelligible.This means that existence is contained in the essence of an infinite substance, andtherefore God must exist by his very nature. Indeed, any attempt to conceive of God asnot existing would be like trying to conceive of a mountain without a valley – it justcannot be done.A. The point is that this property is contained in the nature of a triangle, and so it isinseparable from that nature. Accordingly, the nature of a triangle without thisproperty is unintelligible. Similarly, it is apparent that the idea of God is that of asupremely perfect being, that is, a being with all perfections to the highest degree.B. Actual existence is a perfection, at least insofar as most would agree that it is betterto actually exist than not. Now, if the idea of God did not contain actual existence,then it would lack a perfection. Accordingly, it would no longer be the idea of asupremely perfect being but the idea of something with an imperfection, namely 126non-existence, and, therefore, it would no longer be the idea of God.