Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One’s Reason and of Seeking Truth in the Sciences
Invoked as the guarantor of clear and distinct perceptions and as the source of the idea of perfection.
Prefatory Note by the Author
Mentioned as the subject of the fourth part, where the author establishes the existence of God.
Discourse on the Method
Invoked as the guarantor of clear and distinct perceptions and as the creator of the laws of nature.
Meditations on the First Philosophy: In Which the Existence of God and the Immortality of the Soul Are Demonstrated
The supremely perfect being whose existence is proved from the idea of perfection; God is no deceiver and guarantees the truth of clear and distinct perceptions.
Dedication
Central subject of proof; Descartes aims to demonstrate God's existence through natural reason.
Preface to the Reader
Central subject of discussion regarding existence and nature.
Synopsis of the Six Following Meditations
God is discussed as the guarantor of truth and the cause of the idea of a perfect being.
Meditations on the First Philosophy
God is discussed as the guarantor of truth and the source of clear and distinct perceptions, as well as the creator who endowed humans with free will.
Meditation I: Of the Things of Which We May Doubt
Mentioned as a possible source of deception; Descartes considers the hypothesis that God might allow him to be deceived even about mathematical truths.
Meditation II: Of the Nature of the Human Mind; and That It Is More Easily Known Than the Body
God is mentioned as a possible deceiver, a hypothesis that Descartes uses to deepen his doubt before establishing certainty.
Meditation III: Of God: That He Exists
The perfect being whose existence is argued for from the idea of perfection in the meditator's mind, and who serves as the guarantor of truth.
Meditation IV: Of Truth and Error
Discussed as the supremely perfect being who cannot deceive and who grants the faculty of judgment.
Meditation V: Of the Essence of Material Things; and, Again, of God; That He Exists
The supremely perfect being whose existence is argued from the idea of perfection and whose veracity guarantees the truth of clear and distinct perceptions.
Meditation VI: Of the Existence of Material Things, and of the Real Distinction Between the Mind and Body of Man
Invoked as the guarantor of truth and non-deceiver, ensuring that clear and distinct perceptions of material things are reliable.
Selections from the Principles of Philosophy
Central to the proofs of existence and as guarantor of truth; described as omniscient, all-powerful, and absolutely perfect.
Letter of the Author to the French Translator of the Principles of Philosophy Serving for a Preface
Described as the author of all that exists and the source of truth, guaranteeing clear and distinct perceptions.
Selections from the Principles of Philosophy
Invoked as the all-powerful creator who could potentially deceive, but later affirmed as veracious and the source of light.
Part I: Of the Principles of Human Knowledge
The perfect being whose existence is proved and who serves as the guarantor of truth.
Why we may also doubt of mathematical demonstrations
Invoked as the all-powerful creator who could have made us perpetually deceived, even in mathematics.
VI
Referenced as the possible author of our being, whose power and deceitfulness are considered.
VII
Mentioned as something we can suppose does not exist, but the doubt itself still confirms the doubter's existence.
In what sense the knowledge of other things depends upon the knowledge of God
The author of the mind's being, whose nature must be known to guarantee certainty.
XIV
The all-perfect Being whose necessary existence is inferred from the idea of perfection.
XV
The all-perfect Being whose necessary existence is the subject of the argument.
XVI
Referred to as the all-perfect Being whose existence is in question due to human prejudice.
XVIII
The all-perfect Being whose existence is inferred from the idea of perfection in the mind.
XIX
God is the subject of contemplation, whose infinite perfections are said to be known more clearly than material objects.
Chapter XX
The perfect being whose idea is innate in the mind and who is identified as the source of that idea and the cause of our existence.
XXI
Identified as the self-conserving being who continually conserves us.
XXII
God is described as eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, the source of all goodness and truth, and the creator of all things.
XXIII
Described as non-corporeal, without senses, and not willing evil; His understanding and willing are a single, identical, simplest act.
XXIV
Identified as the sole true cause of all that is or can be, and as the infinite author of things.
XXV
God is the source of revelation, whose mysteries (incarnation, trinity) surpass human faculties.
XXVI
Referenced as the creator who could create more stars than can be imagined.
Chapter XXVII: On the Indefinite and the Infinite
God is described as the only being that is truly infinite, with no limits on any side and positively conceived as admitting none.
XXVIII
Referenced as the efficient cause of all things and the source of the natural light, whose counsels we cannot share.
XXIX
Described as absolutely veracious and the source of all light, incapable of deception or being the cause of error.
The Guarantee of Truth Through God's Veracity
God is invoked as the guarantor of truth, whose non-deceptive nature ensures the reliability of clear and distinct perception.
XXXI
Referred to as non-deceiver; errors are negations in respect to God.
XXXV
Mentioned as having an unlimited will to which the human will can extend.
XXXVI
Discussed as not being the author of human errors, given the finite nature of created intellect.
XXXVIII
God is discussed as the absolute and free ruler who is not responsible for human errors, and to whom gratitude is owed.
XXXIX
Hypothetical deceiver used in the argument to test the certainty of free will.
XL
Discussed as the being whose immense power foreordains all things, creating a tension with human free will.
XLI
God is described as having infinite power, foreknowledge, and preordination.
XLIII
Invoked as the non-deceiving guarantor of the faculty of knowledge and will.
LI
Identified as the one absolutely independent substance, requiring nothing beyond itself for existence.
LII
Referred to as the concourse necessary for the existence of created substances.
LIV
God is discussed as an uncreated and independent thinking substance, the idea of whom is present in the human mind.
LVI
God is described as superior to change, having only attributes, not modes or qualities.
Of distinctions; and first of the real
Invoked as the guarantor that what is clearly and distinctly conceived can be effected, and as the one who can separate really distinct substances.
LXXV
God is identified as the being upon whom we depend and the cause of all other things, central to the order of knowledge.
LXXVI
Referred to as the source of revelation, whose authority is incomparably more certain than any human judgment.
Part II: Of the Principles of Material Things
Invoked as guarantor of truth; cannot be a deceiver, thus material things must exist as perceived clearly and distinctly.
I
Invoked as a non-deceiver whose nature guarantees the truth of clear and distinct perceptions of extended matter.
How the prejudice of an absolute vacuum is to be corrected
Hypothetically invoked as capable of removing body from a vessel, but the argument shows even God cannot create a vacuum.
XX
God's omnipotence is discussed in relation to the divisibility of matter.
Part III: Of the Visible World
Referenced as the infinite creator whose power and goodness are to be highly regarded.
I
Discussed as the infinite and good creator whose works should not be limited by human imagination.
II
Discussed as the creator whose purposes are not to be presumptuously understood by humans.
III
Discussed as the creator whose ends in creation are not limited to human use.
Part IV: Of the Earth
Invoked as the guarantor of truth and the source of absolute certainty in clear and distinct perceptions.
CCIV
Referred to as the Supreme Maker who has infinite means to produce natural phenomena.
CCV
Referenced as the absolute power in relation to which moral certainty may be false.
CCVI
God is invoked as the supremely good source of all truth, guaranteeing the reliability of our cognitive faculties.
Appendix
Central subject of the proofs, defined as the supremely perfect being whose necessary existence is demonstrated.
