Descarte's causal argument
Outline and discuss the causal argument.
Descartes casts everything into doubt in the first meditation, including God Himself. He then comes to this disproval of this theory therefore concluding that God exists. This is brought about through the causal argument.
Desartes begins this argument with the causal principle. This principle states that there must be at least as much reality in the effcient and total cause as in the effect of the cause. Therefore a cause is essential for an effect, meaning that a cause must have as much reality as an effect if not more.
Descartes then applies this principle to ideas. He establishes 2 realities; formal reality and objective reality. Formal reality refers to that what makes an object, what the object is made of. Formal realities can be any of the hierarchy of being- infinite substance, finite substance and mode. For instance the formal reality of a bag is finite, thus a bag is a finite substance. Objective reality refers to ideas only. It is therefore the formal reality of the thing representing the idea. Lets take “ the idea of a bag”. All ideas have the formal reality of a mode therefore its formal reality is that of a mode. On the other hand, the objective reality of “the idea of a bag” is a finite substance. This is because a bag in itself is a finite substance and because it is an idea, its objective reality is finite. Hence it maybe understood that only ideas of things can have objective realities; a bag (for example) in itself can only have a formal reality while the idea of a bag (for example) can have both formal reality and objective. Descartes henceforth distinguishes between formal and objective realities as previously stated.
This then leads Descartes to put the causal principle and ideas together, establishing causal principle ideas. Descartes asks if the cause of the idea of something can be a mode. As stated above, the cause of an effect must have more reality that the effect itself. An idea
Descartes casts everything into doubt in the first meditation, including God Himself. He then comes to this disproval of this theory therefore concluding that God exists. This is brought about through the causal argument.
Desartes begins this argument with the causal principle. This principle states that there must be at least as much reality in the effcient and total cause as in the effect of the cause. Therefore a cause is essential for an effect, meaning that a cause must have as much reality as an effect if not more.
Descartes then applies this principle to ideas. He establishes 2 realities; formal reality and objective reality. Formal reality refers to that what makes an object, what the object is made of. Formal realities can be any of the hierarchy of being- infinite substance, finite substance and mode. For instance the formal reality of a bag is finite, thus a bag is a finite substance. Objective reality refers to ideas only. It is therefore the formal reality of the thing representing the idea. Lets take “ the idea of a bag”. All ideas have the formal reality of a mode therefore its formal reality is that of a mode. On the other hand, the objective reality of “the idea of a bag” is a finite substance. This is because a bag in itself is a finite substance and because it is an idea, its objective reality is finite. Hence it maybe understood that only ideas of things can have objective realities; a bag (for example) in itself can only have a formal reality while the idea of a bag (for example) can have both formal reality and objective. Descartes henceforth distinguishes between formal and objective realities as previously stated.
This then leads Descartes to put the causal principle and ideas together, establishing causal principle ideas. Descartes asks if the cause of the idea of something can be a mode. As stated above, the cause of an effect must have more reality that the effect itself. An idea