DesCartes Flashcards
Why does DesCartes veer away from old philosophers
1) wants an exact method
2) doesn’t want to rely on authority
why does descartes want to base his method off of something like math
like mathematics, wants philosophy to be as certain as possible
- wants clarity, distinction, and certainty
what does descartes create
descartes’ methodic doubt
what latin phrase does descartes use to prove his existence
“cogito, ergo sum”
which is the most absolute certain doubt point
what does “cogito, ergo sum” translate to
I think, therefore I am
what are the three parts of the methodic doubt
1) cogito ergo sum
2) “God”
3) the external world
what is descartes methodic doubt supposed to do
doubt what arent certain about
what is the first part of the methodic doubt
cogito ergo sum
what is the overall reasoning for I. cogito ergo sum
if you deduce something from cogito ergo sum, you are either
a) existing
b) thinking
c) have ideas
ideas are not in his mind, but are used to come up with absolute points
what is the second part of the methodic doubt
God
what is the reasoning for II God and his existence
God couldn’t come up with idea himself if he’s not
- all good, eternal, perfect, infinite
because then he would just be like humans, so he must be all of these things
Other people have caused the idea of God
what is the third part of methodic doubt
III external world
what is the overall reasoning of the external world
ideas are coming from the senses, but its no guarantee that the senses are accurate, so God must be guaranteeing it’s true
What is descartes philosophical anthropology
Res Cogitans and Res Extensa
What is Res cogitans
thinking thing
