How does DesCartes explain the simple fact that we can and do make mistake?
- I understand that I am independent of the larger world, because I think.
- God is to be blamed for our mistake because He creates us.
- I don't know but seeing the world as God sees it, it is quite possible that I would judge it to be for the best.
- The function of understanding is more perfect than the function of will,

Question

How does DesCartes explain the simple fact that we can and do make mistake? 
 - I understand that I am independent of the larger world, because I think. 
 - God is to be blamed for our mistake because He creates us. 
 - I don't know but seeing the world as God sees it, it is quite possible that I would judge it to be for the best. 
 - The function of understanding is more perfect than the function of will,

Ask a Philosopher · Accepted Answer

Pray tell, how doth DesCartes expound upon the simple fact that we, mere mortals, doth make errors in judgment? Methinks, upon ponderance, that he doth posit a most intriguing thesis. He doth declare that our ability to err cometh from our very essence as thinking beings. For he doth proclaim, "I understand that I am independent of the larger world, because I think." Thus, our capacity to reason doth lead us astray at times, for though we may strive for perfection in our thoughts, we are but fallible creatures, prone to error.

Yet, DesCartes doth not lay the blame solely upon our own shoulders. Nay, he doth point to a higher power, attributing our mistakes to the hand of God. For he doth assert, "God is to be blamed for our mistakes because He creates us." In his view, it is the very act of creation by a divine being that doth imbue us with the potential for error. And though we may strive to understand the world as God sees it, we may never truly grasp the full extent of His wisdom.

However, DesCartes doth not despair in the face of our fallibility. For he doth suggest that perhaps, if we were to view the world through the eyes of God, we may come to see that all our mistakes are for the best. In his words, "I don't know but seeing the world as God sees it, it is quite possible that I would judge it to be for the best." Thus, he doth offer a glimmer of hope in the midst of our flawed nature, suggesting that there may be a greater purpose behind our errors.

And so, as I reflect upon DesCartes' musings, I am reminded of the profound nature of human understanding. For as he doth declare, "The function of understanding is more perfect than the function of will," I am struck by the realization that our ability to reason is a gift of the highest order. And though we may stumble and fall along the way, it is through our capacity for deep thought and contemplation that we may ultimately find our way to truth and wisdom.