In “Meditation Three” of Descartes’ Meditations of the First Philosophy, he reviews what he already knows and then questions what other things he is made up of that he has not already brought up, but then becomes doubtful. “…I am certain that the same reality was not in me, either formally or eminently…therefore I myself cannot be the cause of the idea, then it necessarily follows that I am not alone in the world, but that something else, which is the cause of the idea, also exists.”(pg 29) He realizes that the cause of his ideas comes from “without” and thinks that there is a possibility of a God who cause have given him these ideas in order to deceive him.
Descartes then says he has no cause to think that there is a God deceiving him. Rather, his perception of the “ infinite” comes before his perception of the “ finite”. By expressing this idea, he knows that in order to understand why he doubts and desires is by comparing himself to a “more perfect being”, which is God. (pg 31) He says that he cannot comprehend the infinite, but then continues by saying that of all the ideas he has, the idea of God is the most clear. But how can this be the most clear if he cannot fully comprehend the infinite, which is God? It is true that being finite (man) limits our understanding of the infinite, but according to Descartes there can actually be some minor form of perfection that increases within us gradually. If that is the case and we are made in God’s likeness, is it possible for us to attain the perfection in which He has? And if so, how do we know when we have reached this perfection? Since we cannot truly know the infinite, how can we know how perfect God is? Descartes looks to compare himself, a finite being, to God, but how can he possibly compare himself? If he is trying to represent all other men, and all other men contain slight perfection which grows gradually, then can it be that one man can be more perfect than another? Depending upon how this perfection grows, one man may gain perfection quicker than another. If this perfection of which Descartes speaks is attained gradually by his increasing knowledge, then maybe this “perfection” is his idea of maturity. Each person has a certain degree, yet the process of becoming more mature is gradual; and once we reach what we think is full maturity, maybe we can understand God more.
If this is the case then what are the necessary steps which one must take in order to enhance the slight perfection that we have been given? He says that the potential of perfection is in him anyway.(pg32) By saying “potential“, Descartes now poses the idea that perhaps we do not actually have perfection inside of us, but the potential to become closer to perfect rather than actually becoming perfect.
