Discussion Question on Philosophy: The Problem of Evil, Descartes in the Meditations Etc.

Question 1: The Problem of Evil

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The catastrophe of evil is a kind of moral test and is mostly used to establish the faith of believers. Numerous philosophers have used the problem of evil to question the existence of God, and they have asked tough questions such as why God allows bad things to happen when He has the power to stop all pains and sufferings of innocent people. Thus, it is a problem from good and innocent people who commit no sins against God but follow on the right path. Individuals who lead righteous lives deserve no pain and sufferings, but instead; they make the majority of those who subdue a lot of pain and difficulties in their daily lives. For instance, according to the scriptures; Job led a righteous life, but he lost everything that he had worked for. He did not deserve to experience such losses, and it would have been better if a character such of that of Cain experienced the same.

Based on the problem of evil, one can have a Sado theistic response towards the existence of God; this means that God derives pleasure from bringing pain and suffering to test our faith. A theist needs a defense to the problem because humans cannot understand evil; thus, they project their personal disapproval into events and actions. In defense, Augustine explains that the calamities suffered by believers were attributed to Pagans who were plunged into corruption by their gods. The problem of divine foreknowledge is based on both knowledge and free will to do something. For instance, God allowed humans to use their free will; but they are bound to do things according to the knowledge of God's wishes in the Scriptures. The free will defends work, and the problem of evil presents practical issues to this generation of people. For instance, people believe that praying is the only way to let God know about our problems; and if we do not pray, we continue to suffer these problems. Thus, the problem is based on the concept of the deity of western religions.

Question 2: Ontological Argument by St. Anselm on Prosologion

In this discussion, St. Anselm argues that God exists despite all the bad things that happen here on earth under His watch. Anselm goes ahead to describe the persons who believe in the non-existence of God as fools and gives their two features; they perfectly understand the phrases that God does exist, but they do not believe in His existence. To prove God's existence, Anselm argues that the combination of these two features is unstable and that according to the proslogium, Anselm's assumption is that if one understands the definition ad existence of God, then he or she ought to believe in His existence. The Ontological Argument is deductive because it explains that God exists in mind, hence; there could be a greater being in imagination and reality. Thus, the argument derives deductive certainty which is the faith that moves mountains (Matthew 17: 20).

Gaunilo replies Anselm's argument based on the story of the lost island, and he argues that if indeed God exists; then there is a greater possibility that the lost island which is an imaginable place could also exist in reality. However, the lost island which is purported to be a better place than any other region in the universe has never been found in billions of years. In all the cosmological arguments by the Aquinas, the Argument from Degrees and Perfection explains that there is a standard by which all things are measured. All these standards such as beauty and accuracy are contained in God, and the argument is cosmological because it explains the degrees and gradation of quality. Thus, the Aquinas' arguments are different from Anselm's because they the Aquinas rely on contingency and necessity while Anselm's arguments are mainly based on spiritual belief. However; the evidence of Causation and Existence is the most persuasive in the recent times because, in critical thinking, nothing creates itself. Hence, God existed before the universe, and He is the Supreme Being.

Question 3: Descartes in the Meditations

In his Meditations, Descartes decided that he will no longer believe in things that are bound even by the slightest doubts. However it will take an extended period to conclude each one of his beliefs; hence, he needs to learn through senses. In order to create a fresh start in philosophy, Descartes needs to change the direction of his research and employ a meteorological phenomenon. This is because according to his view, the human mind is poisoned by the forbidden knowledge such as the existence of the highest and the illusions about the creator of God. Descartes coincides with his search for defense in his quest to write General Physics; this is an attempt to accomplish his goal of creating a fresh start for Philosophy. Being the originator of various doubts such as the Cartesian doubt, Descartes method is based on the sensory experiences and the primary mode of knowledge; and he makes his doubts universal to spread what he views as essential knowledge to govern all believers in the world.

The dream argument shows that not every illusion should be trusted while the evil genius argument explains that we cannot gain knowledge from any method that deceived us in the past. These arguments are quite the same since they oppose two factors that mostly determine our thinking in regards to the existence of the Supreme Being. In his meditation, Descartes was looking for the evident of the belief that God truly exists, and this belief fits the bill because there is more than enough reason to support the fact that there is God. Based on the Cogito Argument, people have the knowledge of their existence as a result of thinking. Thus, the same way that we think of our existence is the same way that we think of God; hence, He exists. Descartes believes that certainty is the opposite of doubt, hence; we must ascertain that something is real rather than speculating things. In the recent time, this theory gives an adequate account of the mind because it shows the importance of weighing doubts against beliefs.

Question 4: Descartes Rational Beliefs

Descartes explains that rational beliefs are crucial in our lives because they give us accurate information regarding the universe, and he goes ahead to use the example of the wax. The wax example aims to show how uncertain our knowledge about the world is compared to the knowledge of our minds. He proceeds to mention the features of the wax such as color, shape, and smell which rapidly change as the ball of wax is brought closer to a flame. As the wax changes when heated, our beliefs changes when we get exposure to certain things in life; however, these views remain the same despite the many alterations made to them. For instance, scientists argue against the existence of God but eventually; they still retain their faith in the life of a Supreme Being that created the world. Descartes says that we can rely on our beliefs provided that they are derived from our thinking and the knowledge that we obtain.

The Trademark Argument presents that God exists due to the causal adequacy principles, and Descartes uses the principle to prove that God controls everything that happens in the world. However, it is challenged by the fact that God cannot allow evil to flourish in the world as it currently is; and this makes people rubbish the argument of the Trademark. He goes ahead to say that we can rely on our senses in the modest way and our beliefs in external world by comparing them to the knowledge we obtain to ascertain whether they are true or not. Also, the mind and the body are not the same because what the body wants is different from what the mind thinks is right. Hence, the body-mind problem occurs when the two differ; for instance, when the hand wants to steal but the mind knows that this is wrong. Princess Elisabeth characterized this problem as one that needs to be given absolute attention as it affects two critical factors, the body, and the mind. This problem would manifest in real life since many temptations require us to determine whether our bodies or minds demand the right things.