1. The first proof for God’s existence I have an idea of God (an infinite, perfect being. The cause of an idea must have as much formal reality as objectively contained in the idea Only God has as much formal reality as is contained (represented by) the idea of God Therefore God exists.

2. Meditation 3 shows that God exists If God exists (as a perfect, infinite being), then it follows that God is not a deceiver (being a deceiver is an imperfection) Therefore, I can trust my cognitive faculties The skeptical problems of Meditation 1 have been solved.. BUT there is a problem

3. The argument proves TOO MUCH If God is really infinite and perfect, and God created me, then it seems I should never be in error. But I am sometimes in error How is this possible?

4. Judgment has two components One is the idea that the mind (the understanding) has The other is an act of the will that affirms or denies the idea. Since we are not perfect, we do not completely grasp all our ideas (can’t blame God here) But because our will is free, we can affirm or deny ideas that are not clearly grasped.

5. Error is not God’s fault, its our fault because we use our freedom incorrectly. If we only limited ourselves to those ideas we “clearly and distinctly” grasped we would not fall into error.

6. The problem of Evil IF God is all good and all powerful, then God would not create a world with evil in it. But there is evil Therefore, There is no God

7. Can free will help defend against the argument from evil? Compare two worlds: 1. has free creatures and also evil 2. Has no free creatures but also no evil Which is better? The response requires that free will be good or a necessary condition for goods, which outweigh the negative side effect of evil choices

8. A revised argument from evil If God exists, there is no gratuitous evil There is gratuitous evil. Therefore there is no God. IS there gratuitous evil? If free will defense works, then there is some evil that is not gratuitous.

9. What about natural evil? There is some suffering that occurs that is not the result of free choices. Is such evil unnecessary? If so, then how could God allow it? If it is necessary, then what makes it necessary. What is the good that derives from suffering?