The Philosophy Blog

In his Third Meditation, Descartes argues for the existence of God by stating that every idea must come from a source. When we mention "God," what are we truly referring to? We are referring to a being that is omnipotent, omnipresecent, perfect, etc. However, how can the idea of omnipotentence originate from a being that is not omnipotent? Likewise, how can the idea of perfection originate from an imperfect being? Descartes thus argues that the source of these ideas must come from a being that is omnipotent, perfect, etc.

However, what about other abstract ideas such as computers, televisions, the web? What is the source for these ideas? When Descartes was alive, all of these commonplace technologies did not exist. Yet they exist today. If, as Descartes argues, that all ideas must come from a source, what is the source of these advanced technologies?

Are moral values relative, or is there some sort of universal moral standard? The moral relativist would argue that no such universal standard exists. Their proof? Go look and see. Across different time periods and across different cultures, moral values have been drastically different from each other. If a universal moral standard were to exist, would there not be greater consistency in the moral values of human civilization? If a universal moral standard were to exist, how could there be so much moral diversity?

While the moral relativist's argument may seem convicing, the argument that he/she puts forward is logically flawed. The argument is structured with a single premise that leads to a specific conclusion. The premise is that different cultures have different values. The conclusion is that morals are relative. However, does it necessarily follow that just because two cultures disagree that there must be no right answer? Does it follow that just because some people believe that the earth is flat while others believe that it is round, it follows that neither is true? Or that just because two people arrive at a different answer upon solving a math equation that no right answer must exist?