Answer 4 Questions With Complete Sentences In A Paragraph

Answer 4 Questions Whith Complete Sentences In A Paragraph Form Be Sp

1. The features that belong to the god-idea include omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and eternal existence. These qualities are essential because they define the nature of a perfect, infinite being who is the cause of everything else that exists. They have to belong to this idea by default because any deficiency or limitation would contradict the concept of pure perfection and necessary existence. Without these traits, the divine idea wouldn't represent the highest, fullest concept of a being that is all-powerful and all-knowing. These features also serve as a foundation for understanding the divine nature as unique and independent from the created world. Additionally, they help differentiate the divine from everything else, which is limited and contingent. Therefore, these qualities are inherent to the idea of God and must naturally belong to it to uphold its perfect and necessary nature.

2. When we trace our chain of logic to a first cause, questions inevitably arise about how this first cause itself came into existence. If we accept that everything must have a cause, then the first cause must also require an explanation. However, it seems unreasonable to keep going backward infinitely, so many argue there must be an uncaused first cause that itself is not caused by anything else. I believe it is evident by the natural light of reason that there must be a beginning to everything because an infinite regress of causes leads to logical problems and paradoxes. If there was no initial starting point, it would be impossible to explain the existence of the universe or anything within it. Reason suggests that something must have existed necessarily from the start—something that exists by its own nature and does not require a cause. This necessity of a first cause aligns with human intuition and the logical requirement for a grounding explanation of existence.

3. Descartes spends so much time dismissing corporeal nature and the senses because he doubts their reliability as sources of true knowledge. He argues that the senses can deceive us—sometimes our eyes can mislead us, or our tactile senses can be mistaken—so relying solely on them does not guarantee certainty. The example of the wax illustrates this point: when wax melts, changes shape, texture, and color, yet we still recognize it as the same substance. This example shows that understanding the wax’s true nature does not come from sensory experience but from the mind’s innate ability to reason abstractly. Descartes uses the wax to demonstrate that true knowledge about material things isn’t derived from the senses but from the rational mind, which perceives the essence of the wax as extended, flexible, and capable of changing without us losing our grasp on what it fundamentally is. This underscores the importance of reason over the fallible senses in acquiring genuine knowledge.

4. The one single, immovable point of certainty that Descartes finds is “I think, therefore I am” (Cogito, ergo sum). He means that the very act of doubting or thinking proves his existence because thinking implies a thinker. This idea is indubitable because even if all else is uncertain, the fact that he doubts or thinks is undeniable evidence of his existence. He uses this as a foundational certainty from which to build further knowledge, arguing that this self-awareness is the first and most basic truth. From this certainty, Descartes then proceeds to prove the existence of God and the nature of the mind. The Cogito becomes a solid starting point because it is self-evident and immune to doubt, serving as a logical basis for his entire philosophical inquiry. It is this point that anchors his philosophical system and provides a secure foundation for subsequent proofs.

5. Descartes dismisses three features of the soul—sensation, imagination, and corporeal characteristics—because he believes these are tied to the body and can deceive us. Sensations and imagination depend on physical organs and can mislead, so they are unreliable for knowing the true essence of the soul. He accepts only the property of thought, or the thinking principle, because it is an activity of the mind that is separate from the body. Thought, for Descartes, includes reasoning, willing, and doubting, and it proves the existence of the self as a non-material, conscious being. This focus on the thinking aspect enables him to conceive of the soul as an immaterial, distinct substance, which is crucial for establishing the soul’s independence from the physical body. Basically, he dismisses other features to favor the idea of the soul as a pure mental substance that exists apart from the physical realm.

6. One point of Descartes’ reasoning I disagree with is his conclusion that only the mind, and not the body, constitutes the true self. I think he underestimates the importance of the physical body in shaping identity and consciousness. While the mind is certainly central to mental processes, the body influences how we experience the world physically, emotionally, and socially, which in turn affects our mental states. For example, bodily sensations like pain or pleasure directly impact mental states and perceptions. Ignoring the body’s role seems to create an overly dualistic view that separates the mind from the embodied human experience. I believe that mind and body are interconnected and that a complete understanding of the self must include both aspects. The mind cannot fully exist or function without the physical body to support neural processes and sensory inputs. Therefore, Descartes’ strict separation might oversimplify the complex relationship between mental and physical aspects of human existence.

References

• Descartes, R. (1641). Meditations on First Philosophy. Cambridge University Press.
• Cottingham, J. (1998). The Rationalists. Oxford University Press.
• Garrett, D. (2001). The Blackwell Companion to Descartes. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Hughes, G. (2003). The Philosophy of Descartes. Routledge.
• Hatfield, G. (2012). Descartes: An Introduction. Oxford University Press.
• Langton, R. (2011). Descartes. Routledge.
• Reid, T. (1788). Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man. Fortean Publishing.
• Kenny, A. (2012). Descartes: A Study of his Philosophy. Routledge.
• Malcolm, N. (2005). Descartes: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
• Sorell, T. (2005). Descartes. Routledge.