# XXIII explained — Philosophical Works

> Chapter companion for Philosophical Works by René Descartes.

## What happens

This chapter argues that God is not corporeal, does not perceive through senses as humans do, and does not will evil. It explains that divisibility in extension indicates imperfection, so God cannot be a body. Senses involve passivity and dependency, so God lacks them. God's understanding and willing are one, identical, and simplest act, encompassing all real things, but not the evil of sin, which is a negation of being.

## Themes in this chapter

### Existence of God

The chapter delineates God's nature as non-corporeal, without senses, and incapable of willing evil, reinforcing the concept of a perfect being.

### Mind-Body Dualism

By asserting that God is not body and that divisibility indicates imperfection, the chapter implicitly supports the dualist distinction between the mental and the corporeal.

## Character check-ins

### God

Described as non-corporeal, without senses, and not willing evil; His understanding and willing are a single, identical, simplest act.

## Key lines

> Thus, looking to corporeal nature, since divisibility is included in local extension, and this indicates imperfection, it is certain that God is not body.

Because extension implies divisibility, which is a sign of imperfection, God cannot be a physical body.

_This argument uses the imperfection of divisibility to deny corporeality to God._

> And although in men it is to some degree a perfection to be capable of perceiving by means of the senses, nevertheless since in every sense there is passivity which indicates dependency, we must conclude that God is in no manner possessed of senses.

Even though sensing is a human perfection, it involves passivity and dependency, so God cannot have senses.

_The passivity inherent in sensory perception is incompatible with God's independence and perfection._

> he only understands and wills, not, however, like us, by acts in any way distinct, but always by an act that is one, identical, and the simplest possible, understands, wills, and operates all, that is, all things that in reality exist; for he does not will the evil of sin, seeing this is but the negation of being.

God's understanding and willing are a single, simple act that encompasses all real things, but He does not will sin because sin is a lack of being.

_God's simplicity and unity of action exclude any distinct acts and the willing of evil, which is non-being._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/philosophical_works_se/chapters/xxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/philosophical_works_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/philosophical_works_se/chapters