1.
Briefly explain Descartes's causal argument for the existence of God.
Descartes' casual argument for the existence of God is based on the idea that he is a finite being.
Since a finite substance is less real than an infinite substance by virtue of the latter’s absolute
independence, it follows that Descartes, a finite substance, cannot be the cause of his idea of an
infinite substance (Skirry,J). Therefore, he
cannot be the cause of the idea of an infinite being (God)
unless that idea comes from an infinite source, which must be God. He argues that since the idea of
an infinite being exists within him, and he himself is a finite being, the idea of God could not have
originated from within himself; therefore, it must have been caused by an infinite being (God)
outside of himself.
2.
Explain Pascal's reasons for thinking that we cannot
opt out
of wagering about God's existence.
Pascal's famous "wager" argument suggests that since the existence of God cannot be definitively
proven or disproven through reason alone, humans are compelled to make a choice whether to
believe in God or not. He argues that it's impossible to remain neutral or opt out of this decision
because whether God exists has significant consequences – eternal happiness or eternal damnation.
Therefore, Pascal proposes that it is more rational to wager that God exists and live a life devoted to
God, as the potential reward (eternal happiness) outweighs the consequences of disbelief (eternal
damnation). Ultimately, he suggests that one should choose belief in God because the potential
gains of doing so outweigh the potential losses.”
What will you wager? According to reason, you can
do neither the one thing nor the other; according to reason, you can defend neither of the
propositions” (Pascal, B 1958).
References
Pascal, B. (1958). Selections from ‘Of the necessity of the wager.’ In W. F. Trotter (trans.),
Pascal’s
Pensées
. $CANVAS_COURSE_REFERENCE$/file_ref/g98c855e6cb1d837d1351d3258cb66756/download?
wrap=1
Skirry, J. (n.d.). Rene Descartes (1596-1650). In
Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy
.
https://www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/#H5
Links to an external site.
