Descartes Remedy

Question 1

describe cogito arguement (premise 1)

Answer 1

i am thinking therefore i exist
"i could accept it w/o scrupple as the first principle"
-individual as "i"
-high threshold as can "accept"
-foundational as "first principle"
-basic as provides further knowledge

Question 2

describe the arguement from doubt (premise 2)

Answer 2

i cannot pretend i do not exist but i can pretend everything else does not exist

Question 3

describe the arguement from not thinking (premise 3)

Answer 3

if i cease thinking i have no reason to believe i exist

Question 4

describe premise 4 (doubth and not thinking)

Answer 4

i am a certain sort of thinking substance
“whole essense is soley to think” “does not require any place”
- independent of body and thinking is the only essential element to his being

Question 5

describe the main conclusion

Answer 5

my existence and identity are entirely distinct from and independent of anything else (world/material/body)

Question 6

how does descartes reasoning complete his remedy for the skep sit

Answer 6

that he is a substance whose whole essence is to think provides him with the a first principle for further knoweldge
use to prove the existence of god
use to validate pre phil attitude
use to validate sense based beliefs

Question 7

what does descarte mean when he refers to the “mind”

Answer 7

the activity of thinking

ie understanding, willing, doubting

Question 8

what does descartes mean by “mental”

Answer 8

everything of which we are aware

intellect/perception, will/volition

Question 9

do our minds relate to the material world?

Answer 9

minds are immaterial
world is not thinking
ROOT PROBLEM - how can he know anything of which he cannot be certain

Question 10

what is Descartes main form for his arguement

Answer 10

a is not f
b is not f
a is independent of b

-INVALID - third arguement does not follow on from the first two

Question 11

eval the cogito premise

Answer 11

i am thinking therefore i exist
“i” refering to something - descartes assumes there must be something responsible for the thinking
- circular arguement -how may there be something if anything immaterial may be false

Question 12

eval argument from doubt premise

Answer 12

i can pretend everything else does not exist but i cannoy pretend i do not exist
“pretend” - very difficult and more difficult than just doubting - descartes method not entirely reasonable
what is the “i” he cannot doubt - any thinker responsible may only be existent in the present moment otherwise his argument cannot be high threshold

Question 13

eval premise 3

Answer 13

if i cease thinking i have no reason to believe i exist
“reason to believe”
- he is implying that there is truth in his argument even though he cannot prove this is the case
and therefore surely we do not need evidence to prove and believe anything

Question 14

eval premise 4

Answer 14

i am a certain sort of thinking substance
whole argument here is invalid
a is not f
b is not f
a is independent of b

conclusion not entailed by first to premises

Question 15

eval descartes overall arguement from not thinking

Answer 15

thinking only essential feature to him - knows through doubt and if cease thinking does not exist
- no reason to believe that is cease thinking he will not exist - doesnt follow from first two
that his whole essence is to think (requires thinking to exist) is not allowed by his cease thinking argument

Question 16

what is descartes root problem

Answer 16

claim that existence entirely distinct from a material world
therefore there is no possibility that he can relate to the world as he cannot be certain the world exists/ there is a world to relate to
insulates him from the world

Question 17

explain the link between descartes problem with insulation and what he can know

Answer 17

if has knowledge without world, does the world exist at all
is there any knowledge to be right or wrong about
argues senses misinterpret
BUT only certain he can think therefore how may he know he senses anything let alone that they may be a correct depiction of said material world

Question 18

describe substance dualism

Answer 18

descartes refers to two different kinds of substances in his argument
-intellectual/thinking things
-material things
descartes includes both in his reasoning

Question 19

describe the trojan horse problem

Answer 19

trojan brings own destruction by bringing horse into heart of city
descartes undermines skep sit by bringing insulation into heart of argument