Rene Descartes 1596-1650 Rene Descartes 1596-1650

The Problem of the Cartesian Circle:M. Arnauld raises the problem of the so-called “Cartesian Circle”when he states:“I have no further author worry, namely how the author avoidsreasoning in a circle when he says that we are sure that what weclearly and distinctly perceive is true only because God exists.But we can be sure that God exists only because we clearly anddistinctly perceive this. Hence, before we can be sure that Godexists, we ought to be able to be sure that whatever we perceiveclearly and evidently is true (VII: 214).”98