Fifth Meditation Proof for God’s Existence (AT 65-68)



Fifth Meditation Proof for God’s Existence (AT 65-68)

Principle of predication:

Whatever I clearly and distinctly perceive to belong to the true and immutable nature of a thing may be predicated with certainty of that thing and is true of it.

Application to geometry:

T1. My idea of a triangle represents a true and immutable nature.

T2. I clearly and distinctly perceive that it belongs to the true and immutable nature of a triangle to have the sum of its interior angles equal to two right angles.

T3. Therefore, I may predicate with certainty of a triangle that the sum of its interior angles is equal to two right angles, and it is true of a triangle that the sum of its interior angles is equal to two right angles.

Application to God’s existence:

G1. My idea of God represents to me a true and immutable nature, that of a supremely perfect being.

G2. Every perfection belongs to the nature of a supremely perfect being.

G3. Necessary existence is a perfection.

G4. Therefore, I clearly and distinctly perceive that it belongs to the true and immutable nature of God to exist necessarily.

G5. Therefore, I may predicate with certainty of God that he exists necessarily and it is true that God necessarily exists.

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