Descartes's "Meditation V"

Paper Summary:

This paper details Descartes's philosophical attempt at an ontological "proof" for the existence of God. Included is an outline of the intellectual and political times in which Descartes wrote, with a brief discussion of the possible impact this had on Descartes's arguments and focus. The history of ontological arguments and their validity is also discussed, as are the criticisms of such arguments.

From the Paper:

"Rene Descartes was born in 1596 during a period of great scientific and religious upheaval. Scientific theories which had stood at the very core of society for over thirteen hundred years were being challenged by scientists such as Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei. They argued against the traditional Ptolemaic model of the Universe proposing instead a heliocentric model which suggested the Earth was not central but, along with other celestial bodies, circled the sun. Not surprisingly, this theory directly conflicted with Church doctrines which propagated the centrality of mankind in God's eyes and, consequently, a wide-spread conflict ensued between religion and science. The implications of this conflict led to a rise in speculation during these times regarding man's place in the world and God in relation to man."

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