Compare and contrast the views of God and morality in Descartes’ Discourse on Method and Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus.

In both Descartes' Discourse on Method and Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, the concept of God and morality play significant roles, albeit in different ways.

In Descartes' Discourse on Method, God is seen as the ultimate truth and the source of all knowledge. Descartes uses the idea of God to validate his method of doubt and to establish a foundation for scientific inquiry. He argues that because God is not a deceiver, we can trust our reason and senses to discover the truth about the world. Morality, for Descartes, is based on reason and is therefore objective and universal. It is not dependent on individual beliefs or cultural norms, but on the immutable laws of nature established by God.

On the other hand, in Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, God is portrayed as a distant and punitive figure, while the devil is a more immediate and appealing presence. Faustus, the protagonist, rejects God and morality in his quest for knowledge and power, ultimately leading to his downfall. In this sense, Marlowe's view of God and morality is more pessimistic and cautionary. Morality, in Doctor Faustus, is not based on reason but on obedience to God's laws. When Faustus breaks these laws by making a pact with the devil, he is condemned to eternal damnation.

In conclusion, while both Descartes and Marlowe explore the themes of God and morality, they do so from different perspectives. Descartes sees God as a benevolent and truthful being and morality as a rational and universal principle, while Marlowe presents a more complex and ambivalent view of God and a morality based on obedience and punishment.