is, and I appear to have derived this exclusively from my very own nature. (Descartes 358) Throughout most of the third meditation, Descartes gives reasons why he should not believe in God. However, he claims God does exist because the idea of God exists. Descartes believes that the idea that God exists had to have been brought into being by God Himself. In the Book of Genesis, God separates the land from the sea on the third day. I think Descartes rationalization in his meditation is similar to the third day of creation in that God showed land on the third day, and Descartes discovered God on the third day. I think this relationship could be interpreted to mean that land is to earth and life what God is to man. Meditation Four in Descartes writing concerns truth and falsity. On this fourth day, Descartes deals with perception to a large extent. It is as if his perceptions determine what is real and what is not. He seems upset with the fact that God did not create him as a perfect human, incapable of err. God, being perfect in all respects, should have created man perfect as well, but He didnt. Descartes states many times in this section, I have no cause for complaint on the grounds that God has given me a greater power of understanding, greater light of nature, or a will that has a wider scope. (Descartes 367) Descartes goes on to state, I have come to know with certainty only that I and God exist (Descartes 365) While reading this, I felt as if Descartes was literally trying to convince himself that there is a God. The fourth day of creation in the Bible, God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. (Bible Gen. 1:16) I believe the relationship between day four in the Bible and day four in Descartes writing is that there are at least two different ways of seeing things (day or night.) How people perceive something will greatly affect th...
