From Descartes\' perspective, nature is a representation
of God; therefore, God must intrinsically exist, inasmuch as he, too, is a
product of His own creation. Descartes was
one of many philosophers who fully supported this argument
in support of God\'s existence, contending that the external
world is the ruling force behind the presence of all beings. Descartes\'
assertions, as portrayed within the literary
boundaries of Meditations on First Philosophy, were founded
not in cosmological or ontological arguments but rather in
teleological debate, inasmuch as the philosopher believed
that there has to be an omnipotent entity responsible for
all the purpose and order that is found within natural
existence and, thereby, stimulating a sense of wonder about
the world.
One of the primary reasons why Meditation III brings
forth such a sense of wonder is because Descartes\'
philosophical writings followed a very distinctive trail,
one that pursued a path of purity and sincerity. He
believed deeply in the value of ethics as it related to
humans within the natural world, and his concept of forming
an adequate ethical code was thought to be the only way in
which people could truly base their value system. Within
this natural world of which he spoke, Descartes theorized
that knowledge was the ultimate controller of the
environment, thus supporting the teleological argument as
proof of God. He persevered and postulated as to how he
could at last seal the overwhelming gap that existed between
thought and action. It was through his writings that
Descartes exercised the possibility that all thought and
action are interconnected, bringing to mind the view of
science and how it undoubtedly demonstrated the same
evidence.
Characteristic of humanity\'s constant quest for the
concept of God\'s existence, the journey of understanding has
come to represent myriad things to myriad people, ultimately
rendering any universal explanation virtually impossible. The problem with such
sought-after meaning is attempting to
successfully pinpoint a single yet comprehensive connotation
to its concept; however, this cannot be achieved as long as
any two individuals harbor decidedly different
interpretations. \"I shall now close my eyes, I shall stop
my ears, I shall call away all my senses, I shall efface
even from my thoughts all the images of corporeal things, or
at least (for that is hardly possible) I shall esteem them
as vain and false; and thus holding converse only with
myself and considering my own nature, I shall try little by
little to reach a better knowledge of and a more familiar
acquaintanceship with myself\" (Descartes PG).
Inasmuch as Descartes provides a naturalistic theory
for God\'s existence, which is based upon human nature\'s
philosophical reasoning, this form of mitigated conviction
is what essentially supports his stance on God\'s existence
through teleology. When discussing alternate restriction on
philosophical position, it is important to consider the
fundamental basis of Descartes\' principles as a means by
which to ascertain a clear and concise impression of the
philosopher\'s intent. Indeed, it can readily be argued that
Descartes held a strong belief in universal infiltration of
one\'s existence; however, it was also quite obvious that he
parted ways with myriad other theorists when it came to the
issues of proof of God by any other explanation than
teleology.
Once an individual realizes that thoughts can connect
form as well as ideas and that everything in the universe is
vibrating energy, then one is able to grasp the rational
concept that God truly does exist. \"I ought in no wise to
doubt the truth of such matters, if, after having called up
all my senses, my memory, and my understanding, to examine
them, nothing is brought to evidence by any one of them
which is repugnant to what is set forth by the others. For
because God is in no wise a deceiver, it follows that I am
not deceived in this\" (Descartes PG). With this internal
insight, one can better attune to the natural balance of
which all entities are a part, striving to bring a sense of
balance and harmony within. All of this is readily
accomplished by focusing upon what one wants to envision, as
well as the belief that without God\'s existence there would
be no tangible world.
The ways in which Meditation III has encouraged a sense
of wonder about the world is through Descartes\' lucid
images. The way to accept God\'s existence is not shown
through emotions but through the Higher Mind, through the
faculty of intrinsic belief. Feelings can be misleading for
they are often nothing more than reactions from the lower
self. As an example, even a sentimental emotion disguised
as love can be an improper stimulus for action. A strong
personal desire can also evoke an emotional response, which
would be interpreted as a divine signal to move toward the
goal, even while the higher Mind is suggesting a different
plan of fulfillment. From this point, one may perceive that
the mind – rather than emotions – represents the path of
divine guidance; however, the mind, too, may represent a
pitfall with regard to mental reasoning and analytical
thinking.
\"Hence there remains only the idea of God, concerning
which we must consider whether it is something which
cannot have proceeded from me myself. By the name God
I understand a substance that is infinite [eternal,
immutable], independent, all-knowing, all-powerful, and
by which I myself and everything else, if anything else
does exist, have been created. Now all these
characteristics are such that the more diligently I
attend to them, the less do they appear capable of
proceeding from me alone; hence, from what has been
already said, we must conclude that God necessarily
exists\" (Descartes PG).
Descartes illustrates how human beings are the very
source of thought, the eternal connection to the divine
intelligence that is inside, in front of and behind all
form. Our willingness to say yes, to be positive, unafraid
to take the next step, to go with our internal intuition is
all part and parcel of what God has created within the scope
of nature, bestowing the power to co-create with that divine
intelligence as a universal essence. When assessing the
critical components of utilizing teleology as a means by
which to prove God\'s existence, it is important to also look
at oneself as but a minute element in the overall scheme. \"From this it
is quite clear that, notwithstanding the
supreme goodness of God, the nature of man, inasmuch as it
is composed of mind and body, cannot be otherwise than
sometimes a source of deception\" (Descartes PG). Also
important to remember is that in accordance with the
teleological argument, one\'s subconscious mind has the duty
to manifest whatever the conscious mind puts its attention
upon. God is an entity of His own artistic creation; thus,
His existence is a truth for the very reason that it was His
efforts that enabled all other entities to exist, as well. Also known as the
design argument, one can readily contend
that nature is superior to art; as such, nature represents
no less a form of divine art.