Descartes Flashcards
Descartes is known as
the father of modern philosophy
what are the two categories that Descartes touches on in his meditations
epistemology and metaphysics
Descartes believed he could demonstrate…
the mind is not physical
what is the goal of Descartes first meditation
establish what is likely to last (a response to the scepticism that we know nothing) attempt to find out what is
what is the sceptical worry and problem of Descartes first meditation
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
what is Descartes solution to the problem of the first meditation
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.
what is the first argument of Descartes first meditation
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
what is the second argument of Descartes first meditation
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?
what is the third argument of Descartes first meditation
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
what evidence is there that the three arguments of Descartes first meditation are improbable
there are none, they could all be true if your senses can be deceived. your evidence is unreliable.
what are the two themes of Descartes second meditation
- description of the human mind
- how the mind is better known than the body
____ must exist in oder to be ____
“i” must exist in order to be deceived
if ___ is _____ then it is ___ who is
if “i” am mistaken, than it is “i” who is
what does the attempt to doubt existence prove
that “i” exist
“I am, I exist” is ________ ______
necessarily true
what question follows from “i exist”
what am i
what is the common view about “i” and why is it wrong?
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
“i” am a ________ thing
thinking
“i” am a thinking thing that…
doubts, understands, affirms, denies, is willing, is unwilling.
what is the goal of Descartes’ wax passage
determine the essential nature of a physical object (wax)
(secondary goal: how do we identify particular physical objects)
every feature that changes about the melted candle is a________
non-essential feature
what is an essential feature
something that is located in space (not a particualr shape or small but A shape and A smell)
what is the essential feature of an object
located somewhere in space
what are the four steps to Descartes first argument for dualism and the conclusion he comes to
- all physical things are essentially EXTENDED things
- “i’’ in my mind is essentially a THINKING thing
- thinking things are not essentially extended things
- 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
