The ontological proof that Descartes provided to prove the existence of God was more simple and straightforward than his cosmological proof. He himself argues that his ontological argument is not a formal proof but is rather a self-evident axiom based on human intuition. Two central tenets of his philosophy were the theory of innate ideas and the doctrine of clear and distinct perception. In this case he does not invoke any whimsical definition of God but rests his argument on the foundation of an innate idea which stands for a given idea.