Abstract

According to Descartes, the use of free will is a key way to avoid the errors that arise from the will's attempts to outrun the intellect. The main cause of errors is the combination of infinite will and limited intelligence in man. This combination allows a person to avoid defining the error as an accident and, at the same time, attributing to it the "evil intentions" of God. The author emphasizes that Descartes considers error not only as an epistemological phenomenon, but also as an ontological reality rooted in man. This approach leads to the recognition of error as the basis for distinguishing man as a unique existence that interacts with God and being through a specific relationship to error.