Exam 2 Flashcards
What does Montaigne say about knowing things?
that we do not really know anything; we only know what the power to know in us will allow us to know; everything we think of as knowledge is subjective
What does Montaigne say about the senses?
it is what he is talking about when saying our “own power”; we may not have all the possible senses; this is why we can only know things by our “own power” or our senses
What would Montaigne say about a blind man and the man wanting to see?
he would say that the blind man could never truly want to see because he has never had it; we can not know/want something if we do not know it
What does Montaigne say about proving things?
we can not really prove anything; to prove something we need an instrument to prove it and we need an intrument of that and so on to the point of infinite; therefore we can never prove anything without doubt
What are the four main points of Montaigne?
we can only know things as our senses allow us to know them; if there were other powers to know things (or other senses) we would not know we lack them or be able to adopt a lack (because we have never had it); reason can not save us it is mastered by passions (if we know we will not fall off the cliff we will still be afraid of falling even though we know otherwise); human life is subject to constant flux and change, we can not escape, and we can only live by faith
Points of Descartes First Meditation
says that he has had many “false opinions” for a long time; tries to get rid/demolish/doubt every opinion that he has; he is NOT living in doubt he is simply showing that it can be doubted;
Descartes and the Senses
simple sensations or perceptions; can be doubted
Descartes and Basic Complex Facts
things such as “I am in this room” (which is built from the senses) and how do we know if we are asleep; for sake of argument of say we are
What does Descartes NOT say?
that you should doubt everything; he is saying that you could doubt everything
What does Descartes say would take for the simple truths to be doubted?
simple truths such as geometry; they can only be doubted if a “evil genius” was controlling and deceiving us
What does Descartes do in his second meditation?
respond to hyperbolic doubt to “evil demon” and discovers something about his own essence
Response to Hyperbolic Doubt by Descartes
assuming the “evil genius”; whenever I am deceived it follow that I must be thinking; but my thinking implies my existence as a thinking thing
Example of Descartes Response to Hyperbolic Doubt
if you think you are in a room, but you may not be in a room, it is indubitable that I am thinking I am in this room; if you are thinking about being in the room then that means you exist as a thinking being even if you are not in the room; if I think it is so then it is undoubtable that I am thinking
Descartes Discovery of Something about his Own Essence
my bodily way of being and any bodily objects that I perceive might not exist; but my thought of them is certain and exists
Descartes Basic Argument about Mind and Body
my thinking exists indubitably but my bodily existence is dubitable; these are different kinds of experiences
What does Descartes say about ideas?
every idea has to have a cause
How does Descartes prove that God exists?
for god to be created the idea had to have been of a perfect being; because we are imperfect we can not create a perfect idea or being; therefore we did not create the idea of God and a perfect being had to create it
