Descartes

Question 1

Descartes is known as

Answer 1

the father of modern philosophy

Question 2

what are the two categories that Descartes touches on in his meditations

Answer 2

epistemology and metaphysics

Question 3

Descartes believed he could demonstrate…

Answer 3

the mind is not physical

Question 4

what is the goal of Descartes first meditation

Answer 4

establish what is likely to last (a response to the scepticism that we know nothing) attempt to find out what is

Question 5

what is the sceptical worry and problem of Descartes first meditation

Answer 5

SW: some beliefs that he once held turned out to be false leading to the P: of how can we know what beliefs are true and false

Question 6

what is Descartes solution to the problem of the first meditation

Answer 6

Hyperbolic doubt–reject all beliefs that have even the slightest doubt of truth in order to find a belief that is impossible to reject–then work from that belief.

Question 7

what is the first argument of Descartes first meditation

Answer 7

The argument from the senses
-alot of the things i think have been gained by senses
-i have been deceived by my senses
-you should not trust what once deceived you
-i cant KNOW sensory perceptions to be true

Question 8

what is the second argument of Descartes first meditation

Answer 8

The dream argument (argument of insanity)
-it is possible that i am completely mental and that i just think i am who i am but i am really in a delusion
- it is possible that i am just dreaming, dreams have convinced me of reality before
-how can i tell the difference?
- do i really see my hand or seem to see my hand?
-in dreams and insanity i am not SEEING anything.
-how can you distinguish if you’re awake? what is the evidence?

Question 9

what is the third argument of Descartes first meditation

Answer 9

The demon argument (systematically deceived)
-there is some intelligent deceiver that has tricked you completely–a broken capacity to reason
-maybe there is no physical world at all, i am just being tricked
-maybe all the basic truths are wrong and 2+2=5

Question 10

what evidence is there that the three arguments of Descartes first meditation are improbable

Answer 10

there are none, they could all be true if your senses can be deceived. your evidence is unreliable.

Question 11

what are the two themes of Descartes second meditation

Answer 11

1. description of the human mind
2. how the mind is better known than the body

Question 12

____ must exist in oder to be ____

Answer 12

“i” must exist in order to be deceived

Question 13

if ___ is _____ then it is ___ who is

Answer 13

if “i” am mistaken, than it is “i” who is

Question 14

what does the attempt to doubt existence prove

Answer 14

that “i” exist

Question 15

“I am, I exist” is ________ ______

Answer 15

necessarily true

Question 16

what question follows from “i exist”

Answer 16

what am i

Question 17

what is the common view about “i” and why is it wrong?

Answer 17

that I am a physical being, this cant be right because when stripped from the physical “I” still exists. even if the body doesnt exist “I” do

Question 18

“i” am a ________ thing

Answer 18

thinking

Question 19

“i” am a thinking thing that…

Answer 19

doubts, understands, affirms, denies, is willing, is unwilling.

Question 20

what is the goal of Descartes’ wax passage

Answer 20

determine the essential nature of a physical object (wax)
(secondary goal: how do we identify particular physical objects)

Question 21

every feature that changes about the melted candle is a________

Answer 21

non-essential feature

Question 22

what is an essential feature

Answer 22

something that is located in space (not a particualr shape or small but A shape and A smell)

Question 23

what is the essential feature of an object

Answer 23

located somewhere in space

Question 24

what are the four steps to Descartes first argument for dualism and the conclusion he comes to

Answer 24

1. all physical things are essentially EXTENDED things
2. “i’’ in my mind is essentially a THINKING thing
3. thinking things are not essentially extended things
4. Therefore “i’’ in my mind is not an essentially extended thing, therefore “i” in my mind is not a physical thing.

Conc: my body and mind have different essences, they are different in kind= DUALISM

Question 25

mind is a ______ thing, body is a ______ thing

Answer 25

mind is a thinking thing, body is an extended thing

Question 26

Descartes makes no comment on the _______ of mind and body, just the ________

Answer 26

Descartes makes no comment on the relation of mind and body, just the essences

Question 27

what are the two goals of Descartes sixth meditation

Answer 27

1. identify and argue for the distinction of mind and body
2. prove that the material world exists

Question 28

provide the four premises and conclusion for Descartes’ real distinction argument (Law of identities)

Answer 28

1. whatever i can clearly and distinctly understand could be exactly how i understand it
2. if i can clearly and distinctly understand one thing apart from another–they must be distinct
3. i have a clear and distinct understanding of my mind
4. i can clearly and distinctly understand my mind apart from my body

Therefore, given premise 2, mind and my body must be distinct

Question 29

what are the seven points of Descartes’ divisibility argument

Answer 29

1. i can divide physical objects
2. but i can not divide my mind (without destroying that part i tried to separate)
3. if physical objects can always be divided and my mind cannot be divided, then my mind is not a physical object
4. this entails that my mind cannot be a brain
5. therefore my mind is not the same as my brian
6. nor can it be physical at all
7. so the mind is non-physical

Question 30

when you try to ______ things from your mind they ______

Answer 30

when you try to remove things from your mind they cease to exist

Question 31

human beings are a _____ made up of ______

Answer 31

human beings are a unit made up of two separate substances

Question 32

I am not merely present in my body as a _____ in a ______but i am _______ with it so that my ________ from a _______

Answer 32

I am not merely present in my body as a sailor in a ship but i am intermingled with it so that my mind and body from a unit

Question 33

what part of the body does Descartes think is intermingled with the mind

Answer 33

the brain, “brain movement” translated to the mind for processing.

Question 34

in A or B which one is for and against dualism, and explain how they are different.

A. neurological events cause mental events
B. neurological events are mental events

Answer 34

A. neurological events cause mental events
- dualist view (CAUSE implies a substantive difference)

B. neurological events are mental events
- non-dualist view (ARE implies a substantive sameness)

they are opposing statements, there is a difference in relation between mind and body