Decoding Descartes' Proposition: The Trademark Argument Unveiled

The Trademark argument was developed by A French Mathematician and philosopher by the name of Rene Descartes. He uses the trademark argument to try and to prove the existence of God. Based on this argument having the concept of God proves in itself that God exists. The concept of God is within us and is therefore like a trademark that He placed within us. The argument is based on the sources of ideas. The first source is associated with the idea that has been derived from outside the mind. In this sense, the idea provides experiences which shape our perception. The second source of the idea is formed our invention and lastly is the idea being innate. This is associated with an idea being part of human nature. However, the main question is from which of the three sources of the idea, the existence of God can be derived from. Deriving the existence of God from either of the three sources of the idea involves the understanding that the cause of an idea must have a level of reality associated with its effect. The effect of the cause of the idea provides a form of reality that we can use to understand the idea itself. About the existence of God, the trademark argument points out that God is infinite, and therefore the idea of His existence can never have come from Himself but then He ought to be the Cause of the idea, and therefore, he exists. The Descartes argues that man is finite while the concept of God is infinite. A man has the concept of the existence of God. Men have minds which can think and create many ideas. Connecting these aspects whereby, the concept of God is infinite while the man is finite shows that a man’s mind could not have created such a concept of something having a higher reality than the mind can create. It is for this reason that a man’s mind could not have created the concept of God and thus it proves the existence of God (Lacewing, 2014).

Cartesian Circle objection

The Cartesian circle is experienced in the arguments of Descartes but is more of a mistake in reasoning. The general arguments of Descartes appear in the form of a circular argument rooted in his argument for the existence of God. The circular reason associated with the Cartesian circle is used by Descartes to show that whatever we distinctly and perceive is the truth. Based on the Cartesian circle argument, God is not a deceiver, and thus our perception of God which is distinct and clear is the actual truth. Descartes argues that God cannot allow him to make mistakes in perception and reasoning and thus is ideas for which is perceives clearly and distinctly are true. Based on his argument of the existence of God, guarantees that the argument of distinct and clear perception. The acknowledgment and acknowledgment acceptance of the existence of God is what brings out the aspect of a clear and distinct perception.

 The aspect of circulatory emerges to win the sense that at first Descartes has to establish the fact that he exists and thinks. He, first of all, seeks to find sources of knowledge and thus establishes the argument of distinctiveness and clarity of perception as the truth. However, he introduces the aspect of God as a deceiver, and this casts doubts upon the first rule. Examining that God is a deceiver helps him cast skepticism associated with his argument of the existence of God. Then follows with the reality that the entirety and certainty of his knowledge guarantees and backs the certainty of the existence of God. This creates a circular way of reasoning because at first Descartes believes that whatever he perceives to be perceived clearly and distinctly ascertains the truth as well as the existence of and at the same time Descartes argues that the existence of God is based on a clear and distinct perception. This creates a circular way of reasoning and is referred to as the Cartesian circle. This is a potential mistake in the process of reasoning.

The Cartesian circle, therefore, explores the differences between normal reason and distinct and clear perception. Descartes’ view if the existence of God is clear and distinct because God is perfect and therefore cannot deceive him (Causal adequacy principle, 2017).

Second objection

 The first argument ascertains the existence of God about the existence of the idea of the concept of God. This argument has, however, had many objections with people not agreeing to it. First of all, Descartes greatly relies on the principle of causal adequacy. This is a philosophical principle established by Descartes himself and explores the existence of reality in an object to ascertain its cause. The principle says that an effect can only exist when there is a cause. The casual adequacy was highly regarded in the time of Descartes, but in today’s world, it is a principle that has been highly discredited. Some of the objections of the argument are based on the existence of objects whose effects cannot be explained by their cause. Another factor of objection is that the casual adequacy as used by Descartes emphasizes that the effects have less reality than their cause. Objections to this argument point out that existence itself is not quality. However, based on this idea, something that is in existence can have qualities. This objection, therefore, shows that existence itself should be considered in such a high regard as Descartes gives it in the trademark argument. In simple terms, something either exists, or it does not. The other objection to the trademark argument is associated with the perception that the concept of the existence of God is innate. However, if the idea of the existence of God ought to be innate, then everyone has to have this idea. Other philosophers such as Freud viewed this opposition in the sense that the idea of the concept of the existence of God came as a result of the need to have a father figure in people’s lives. Another theorist by the name of David Hume explores the needs for humans to take considerations and magnification of certain qualities such as goodness, strength, and wisdom. The need for such qualities created the need for the idea of the existence of God (Causal adequacy principle, 2017).