Descartes’ Philosophy: Thinking Substance and Infinite Being
Res Cogitans: The Thinking Substance
Res cogitans refers to a thinking thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, imagines, and feels. Sentimental life encompasses emotional and volitional aspects. All states of mind are considered psychic thoughts. While I may not have a body, I cannot deny that I am thinking. The objects of thought (res cogitans) are ideas.
In analyzing ideas, Descartes distinguishes two aspects:
- They are mental acts. All ideas have the same reality and seem to originate from me in the same way.
- They possess objective content; their reality differs, as each represents a distinct thing. They are different from one another.
Descartes classifies ideas into three categories:
- Adventitious: These ideas appear to derive from our external experiences, such as the idea of a man or a tree.
- Factitious: These are ideas constructed by our minds, fabricated from other ideas, like the idea of a ghost.
- Innate: These are inherent to thought itself, such as cogito ergo sum (“I think, therefore I am”). They are the most important.
Res Infinitas: The Infinite Substance
Among innate ideas, we find the concept of the infinite. The origin of this idea is that we are created by an infinite being (God), who has placed this idea within us. Descartes provides three arguments to demonstrate God’s existence:
- God exists as an infinite substance, capable of causing the idea of infinity that I find within myself (an argument similar to St. Augustine’s).
- From the fact of my finite existence, the question arises: “To whom do I owe my existence?”
- Not to myself, for then I would have given myself all the perfections of which I have an idea and would resemble God.
- Nor have I always existed, as it would be necessary to maintain my existence.
- A cause less perfect than God is insufficient, as I am a thinking thing with the idea of God. Therefore, God is the cause of my existence and thus exists.
- Similar to St. Anselm’s argument, the idea of a perfect being necessitates the existence of that being; otherwise, a perfection would be lacking. Therefore, God exists.
God possesses eternity, omniscience, omnipotence, truth, and goodness.
Res Cogitans: The Thinking Substance
Res cogitans refers to a thinking thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, imagines, and feels. Sentimental life encompasses emotional and volitional aspects. All states of mind are considered psychic thoughts. While I may not have a body, I cannot deny that I am thinking. The objects of thought (res cogitans) are ideas.
In analyzing ideas, Descartes distinguishes two aspects:
- They are mental acts. All ideas have the same reality and seem to originate from me in the same way.
- They possess objective content; their reality differs, as each represents a distinct thing. They are different from one another.
Descartes classifies ideas into three categories:
- Adventitious: These ideas appear to derive from our external experiences, such as the idea of a man or a tree.
- Factitious: These are ideas constructed by our minds, fabricated from other ideas, like the idea of a ghost.
- Innate: These are inherent to thought itself, such as cogito ergo sum (“I think, therefore I am”). They are the most important.
Res Infinitas: The Infinite Substance
Among innate ideas, we find the concept of the infinite. The origin of this idea is that we are created by an infinite being (God), who has placed this idea within us. Descartes provides three arguments to demonstrate God’s existence:
- God exists as an infinite substance, capable of causing the idea of infinity that I find within myself (an argument similar to St. Augustine’s).
- From the fact of my finite existence, the question arises: “To whom do I owe my existence?”
- Not to myself, for then I would have given myself all the perfections of which I have an idea and would resemble God.
- Nor have I always existed, as it would be necessary to maintain my existence.
- A cause less perfect than God is insufficient, as I am a thinking thing with the idea of God. Therefore, God is the cause of my existence and thus exists.
- Similar to St. Anselm’s argument, the idea of a perfect being necessitates the existence of that being; otherwise, a perfection would be lacking. Therefore, God exists.
God possesses eternity, omniscience, omnipotence, truth, and goodness.