God, human memory, and the certainty of geometry: an argument against Descartes
Descartes holds that the tell-tale sign of a solid proof is that its entailments appear clearly and distinctly. Yet, since there is a limit to what a subject can consciously fathom at any given moment, a mnemonic shortcoming threatens to render complex geometrical reasoning impossible. Thus, what en...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic/Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Marquette Univ. Press
[2016]
|
| In: |
Philosophy & theology
Year: 2016, Volume: 28, Issue: 2, Pages: 299-310 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Descartes, René 1596-1650
/ God
/ Memory
/ Geometry
|
| IxTheo Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism CF Christianity and Science KAG Church history 1500-1648; Reformation; humanism; Renaissance |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | Descartes holds that the tell-tale sign of a solid proof is that its entailments appear clearly and distinctly. Yet, since there is a limit to what a subject can consciously fathom at any given moment, a mnemonic shortcoming threatens to render complex geometrical reasoning impossible. Thus, what enables us to recall earlier proofs, according to Descartes, is God’s benevolence: He is too good to pull a deceptive switch on us. Accordingly, Descartes concludes that geometry and belief in God must go hand in hand. However, I argue that, while theism adds a layer of psychological reassurance, the mind-independent reality of God would ensure the preservation of past demonstrations for atheists as well. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0890-2461 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Philosophy & theology
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.5840/philtheol2016102158 |