Descartes, first and second meditations Flashcards
Why does Descartes begin his Meditations with doubt?
Descartes notices that many of his former beliefs were false and built on shaky foundations. To discover something stable and certain—especially for the sciences—he decides to reject all beliefs that can be doubted, even slightly, and start again from scratch
What does Descartes say about the senses as a source of knowledge?
He acknowledges that most of his beliefs come from the senses but points out that the senses have deceived him before (e.g., illusions or mistakes with distant objects). Since it’s unwise to fully trust anything that has deceived even once, he decides the senses are not a reliable foundation for knowledge.
How does the dream argument challenge sensory knowledge? - Descartes
Descartes argues that the sensations we have in dreams can be just as vivid as those we have when awake. Because we can’t always tell the difference between dreaming and waking, all sense-based beliefs can be doubted.
What kinds of truths seem to survive even the dream argument? - Descartes
Basic truths of mathematics and geometry (like 2 + 3 = 5 or a triangle having three sides) seem to remain true regardless of whether Descartes is awake or dreaming.
How does Descartes introduce the concept of an all-powerful deceiver? - Descartes
He raises the possibility that an omnipotent God (or even a lesser but very powerful being) could be deceiving him in everything he thinks is true, including math. If deception is possible even in reason, then no belief can be considered absolutely certain.
Why does Descartes imagine an evil demon rather than a deceptive God?
Since God is supposed to be perfectly good, Descartes imagines a malicious demon who devotes himself to deception. This allows Descartes to suspend all belief, even in his own body, the external world, and reason itself, to search for absolute certainty.
What is the purpose of radical doubt in the First Meditation?
Radical doubt serves as a methodological tool. Descartes uses it not to remain in doubt forever but to strip away falsehoods so he can discover indubitable truths that can serve as a secure foundation for knowledge.
What is the first certain truth Descartes arrives at?
“I think, therefore I am” (Cogito, ergo sum). Even if he is being deceived, the fact that he is thinking—doubting, believing, imagining—proves that he exists. This truth is self-evident and cannot be doubted
What is Descartes’ concept of the self or “I”?
Descartes defines himself as a thinking thing (res cogitans)—a mind that engages in mental activities like doubting, understanding, affirming, denying, willing, refusing, imagining, and sensing. The body is unnecessary for this identity.
Why does Descartes reject bodily characteristics as part of his essence?
Because anything connected to the body (such as having limbs or sense-perception) can be doubted under the evil demon hypothesis. Only thinking is essential and indubitable to his existence.
What does Descartes say about imagination in relation to knowledge of the self?
He argues that imagination is unreliable since it depends on sensory images and the body. Knowledge of the self comes not from imagination but from pure understanding or intellect.
How does Descartes use the wax example to explain the nature of material objects?
He examines a piece of wax and observes that all its sensory attributes change when it melts. Despite this, he still knows it is the same wax. This shows that knowledge of the wax (and of bodies generally) is not based on the senses but on mental judgment.
What conclusion does Descartes draw from the wax example?
That the mind alone perceives the nature of the wax, which is that it is extended, flexible, and changeable. Sensory knowledge is confused and incomplete; only the intellect grasps the true essence of physical objects.
How does the wax example relate to Descartes’ theory of mind and body?
It supports the conclusion that the mind is better known than the body, because the mind is what performs the judgment that something is wax despite sensory changes. Thus, the mind is more certain and transparent than the physical world.
How does Descartes show that sensing is a form of thinking?
Even if sensations are illusions (e.g., in dreams), the seeming of sensing is a mental act. Therefore, sensing is part of the thinking self, regardless of whether the objects sensed exist externally.
Why does Descartes think he knows the mind better than bodies?
Because even when perception of bodies is confused or deceptive, it is the mind that judges, doubts, and reflects. Therefore, his knowledge of the mind is clearer, more certain, and foundational.
What is the overall conclusion of the Second Meditation? - Descartes
That the self is a thinking thing, that the mind is better known than the body, and that even material objects like wax are ultimately understood not through the senses but through intellectual perception.
