Med 3

Question 1

Explain the purpose of Descartes’ examples of stones and heat in Meditation 3

Answer 1

Award 1 mark each for any relevant point and an additional mark for a development of that point.
Award 2 marks for an explanation of Descartes position that:
-Something cannot arise from nothing (1 mark)
-What is more perfect cannot arise from what is less perfect
Award 1 mark for Descartes’ claim that heat cannot be produced in something that was not hot or at least did not have ‘at least the same order of perfection as heat’

Award 1 mark for Descartes’ claim that a stone cannot begin to exist without being created by something which contains all that we can find in the stone.

Question 2

With reference to Descartes, what is meant by the causal adequacy principle?

Answer 2

Award 1 mark for each relevant point and an additional mark for a development of that point.

Candidates must show that they understand the causal adequacy principle to gain three marks, for example:

• The causal adequacy principle- ‘there must be at least as much reality in the efficient and total cause as in the effect of that cause’. (1 mark)
• The causal adequacy principle-‘Something can not arise from nothing (1 mark) and also what is more perfect -that is, contains in itself more reality - cannot arise from what is less perfect’ (1 mark)