210k views
5 votes
In the third meditation, does Descartes' knowledge of his limitations, or his imperfections, lead to his conclusion that there must be something limitless, something perfect?

1 Answer

0 votes

Final answer:

Descartes' knowledge of his limitations and imperfections leads him to conclude that there must be something limitless and perfect.

Step-by-step explanation:

Descartes' knowledge of his limitations and imperfections plays a significant role in his conclusion that there must be something limitless and perfect. In his third meditation, Descartes explores the concept of an evil demon that can deceive our senses and lead us to believe false things. He realizes that if such a demon exists, then all our beliefs could be in doubt.

However, despite this skepticism, Descartes finds solace in the fact that there are certain ideas, such as mathematical truths, that are clear and distinct and cannot be doubted even in the face of a deceiving demon. These clear and distinct ideas, including the knowledge of the self and the idea of God as a perfect being, lead Descartes to conclude that there must be something limitless and perfect.

User Will Larche
by
7.7k points