This chapter examines Descartes' view of another single thinking fact: thinking of God. Central to Descartes' account in Meditation III of thinking of God is an attempt to prove from (i) this thinking fact (ii) a thought-free fact about the cosmos, God's existence, or in the more telling gerund form, the fact of God's existing. In Meditations there are at least three separate proofs of this (purported) basic fact. In Meditation V, there is an attempted proof of God's existing from God's essence (from his true and immutable “nature”), referred to as the from His essence proof. In Meditation III, there are (at least) two other proofs. There is a proof God's existing from my (JA's) existing, referred to as the from my existence proof. Finally, there is an attempted proof of God's existing from this thinking-fact, I think about God, referred to as the from my thinking proof. The chapter focuses on one proof only: from my thinking of Him to His existence.
Keywords: Descartes, thinking, God, Meditations, proof, reflection, existence