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Words: | Submitted: Mon Jun 19 2006
... called nothing". This is the beginning of Descartes' highly contested ontological argument which is the basis for his proof of material objects. It essentially concludes that because Descartes' can imagine such objects they cannot be confined solely to his mind. His initial example is that of a triangle which is "immutable and eternal" even if it's only in his mind. Such properties as its three angles equalling two right angles he clearly recognizes whether he wants to or not, leading him to conclude that they cannot have been invented by his mind. He can imagine unencountered shapes and demonstrate some of their properties which are true because he is clearly aware of them, and "whatever is true is something". Descartes favours such geometric examples because of the clear truths and laws in mathematics which he perceives the clearest of all concepts, and such understanding of shapes cannot occur if there is ...
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