1.In the second Meditation, (Kleiman and Lewis, p. 33) Descartes responded to the doubts raised previously — his famous remark that “I think, therefore I am.” Of course, we might say. Isn’t that obvious? So why is Descartes’ remark so profound? (Or is it?)
2.In the third Meditation, Descartes developed the first of two arguments for God’s existence, this one called the Cosmological Proof, claiming there is no other way to explain his having the idea of God than that God Himself gave it to him. (See page 42, in Kleiman and Lewis.) Could we human beings have invented the idea of God? Why did Descartes think otherwise?
3.In the fourth Meditation, Descartes claimed to have discovered the source of falsity and error — the reason for deep seated skepticism. (See page 50, Kleiman and Lewis.) What is that source? How does freewill enter into his explanation?
4.In the fifth Meditation, Descartes revisited the idea of proving God’s existence, this time developing the Ontological Proof — the simple claim that denying God’s existence is irrational; otherwise the Perfect Being would not be perfect, which is a contradiction. Any atheist — anyone who denies that God exists — must be a fool.
Are you an atheist? Are all atheists fools
5.In the final Meditation, Descartes returned to the original theme of explaining the source of human skepticism. His answer was that doubt is a product of our own doing — not the result of a systemic feature of the world we live in. We have the power to reduce our uncertainties by working hard, being honest and following the dictates of reason. The Meditations guarantee this. Do you accept Descartes’ conclusion?
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