Descartes And God Essays - Epistemology, Ren Descartes, Free Essays

Descartes And God Essays - Epistemology, Ren Descartes, Free Essays Descartes And God Jared Rhine English 201 October 10, 1997 Descartes sets about proving the existence of God through his meditations on knowledge in an effort to prove the skeptics of his time wrong. He first determines that human knowledge is based entirely too much on unproved presuppositions. He argues that this makes it difficult to distinguish between truth and error, since we cannot recognize true knowledge. Descartes proposes that the quest for knowledge must be based upon universal doubt. Specifically, he proposes the following in relation to his universal methodic doubt: 1. In order to seek truth, it is necessary once in the course of our life, to doubt, as far as possible, of all things. 2. We ought also to consider as false all that is doubtful. 3. We ought not meanwhile to make use of doubt in the conduct of life 4. Why we may doubt of sensible things. 5. Why we may also doubt of mathematical demonstrations. 6. We cannot doubt of our existence while we doubt, and this is the first knowledge we acquire when we philosophize in orde r. Descartes proceeded to strip away his knowledge base in order to determine the one indubitable fact, Cogito, ergo sum. From this absolute knowledge of his own existence, he set about deducing the existence of God through ontological argument. In our minds, the idea of God is one of an infinitely perfect Being. An infinitely perfect being must have existence, otherwise it would not be infinitely perfect. Therefore, God exists. In proving the existence of God, Descartes set the groundwork for determining that God created man. He further postulated that God, being infinitely perfect and not a deceiver, could not have provided man with the deceptive powers of knowledge. Therefore, man's mental faculties are determined to be trustworthy provided we separate what there is of clear and distinct in the knowledge from what is obscure and confused. Using this reasoning, man must discard all previous knowledge, which is doubt-ridden, all sensory-based knowledge (as perceptions can be misleading ), and all intellection. As a result, skepticism is removed and valid knowledge possible. Descartes primary purpose was the defense of human knowledge against the attacks of the skeptics. He was justified in excluding preconceived notions, presuppositions, and traditions in determining the limits of knowledge. Descartes discarded the ability of the mind to know truth and the human abilities of contradiction and sufficient reason. In doing so, he made a solution to the problem impossible. As it relates to his theory of the existence of God, Descartes universal doubt refutes his own conclusion as to God's existence. Descartes formed an idea of God as an infinitely good being. He would have had to discover this idea within his own mind. According to his principle of universal doubt, he cannot simply know whether his conception of God is correct or incorrect. He would have, as a matter of his own principle, considered it as false until proven otherwise. Therefore, since the idea of God is in doubt, the trustworthiness of man's reasoning must also be doubtful and Descartes cannot escape his own real doubt. Descartes uses a process of reasoning, a mathematical formulae, in attempting to demonstrate God's existence. If his reasoning is of demonstrably doubtful validity, how can Descartes demonstrate God's existence? The validity of Descartes reasoning is supposed to flow as a consequence of the infinite perfection of God; and God's infinite perfect is made certain through Descartes' reasoning powers before he has even proven that these reasoning powers are valid and trustworthy. Descartes assumes the very thing beforehand, which he intends to prove afterwards. Descartes accepts the trustworthiness of his faculties in demonstrating the existence and infinite perfection of God, and that is illegitimate. A doubtfully valid faculty will produce a doubtfully valid argument, which will, in turn, produce a doubtfully valid conclusion. The ent ire argument for God's existence is therefore nullified by a suspect reasoning process. Since he proves the reliability of his reason and process by means of God's veracity, the proof of his reliability cannot be established beyond doubt. Thus, Descartes attempt to vindicate the validity of human knowledge failed, because, by rejecting the reliability of his own powers to discover and know

9 Career Options for Business Majors

9 Career Options for Business Majors If youll be graduating soon with a degree in business (or are considering getting one), its safe to say you have a lot of job options. But youll also have a lot of competition: Business degrees are by far the most popular bachelors degrees in the United States. That being said, the reason business degrees are so popular is because theyre applicable in a wide variety of industries, and the skills you acquire on the way to earning a business degree likely make you a versatile employee. No matter what job you want, you can probably make the case that your business education gave you the skills you need to succeed. As far as the more traditional business careers go, here are some of the top jobs worked by people who majored in business. 14 Careers for Business Majors 1. Consulting Working for a consulting company can be a great place to start if you know youre interested in business but arent sure what sector youre most interested in. Businesses bring in consulting firms for an outside perspective to help solve a problem, whether thats a problem with finance, management, efficiency, communication or something else. Consulting will let you see all kinds of industries, and you can probably find a position suited to your particular skills. 2. Accounting Working at an accounting firm will help you understand the gritty details of a business. Like any firm, you can pursue more of a management track, or you could get into the bread and butter of the business: number crunching. Youll likely need a concentration in accounting or take the certified public accountant test. 3. Financial Planning Interested in investing? Helping people prepare for retirement? Consider working at a financial planning firm. This career also often requires taking certification tests, as well. 4. Investment Management Working at an investment firm can give you a unique insight into some of the most exciting, up-and-coming companies as well as how they work. Those with a background in economics may be best suited for this career, as it requires interpreting the economic impact of current events, understanding their nuances and having a grasp on investment trends. 5. Non-Profit Management Most people think of business degrees as a great way to make money. But working for a non-profit is a great way to make a salary while also helping out those who are working toward a larger social cause. After all, non-profits need smart managers who can make the most of limited resources. 6. Sales While business degrees often require a firm grasp on numbers, they also focus on developing communication skills. A sales role requires both. You can find a sales role in almost any company, so choose something that interests you. Be prepared for work thats very goal-oriented and requires a self-starter attitude. 7. Marketing and Advertising You cant have a successful business if youre not reaching your customers. Thats where marketing comes in. Marketing is a collection of all activities to promote a product, company or thing. This industry needs both business-focused and creative minds, and you can do this work in a dedicated department of a company or as an outside consultant. 8. Entrepreneurship You know the basics of business- why not start your own? Its certainly not easy, but if you have a passion for something and can develop a sound plan for getting it started, you may have what it takes to build your own company. 9. Fundraising or Development People who are good with money are often good at helping other people donate money. Consider working in fundraising or development and challenging yourself in all kinds of interesting ways. Other Ideas You can make your business degree relevant to careers well beyond this list. Consider your interests and how you might apply your business acumen in such a field. If, for example, you are passionate about writing and the environment, consider blending all of your interests in one job- like working on the business end of an environmental magazine or website.