Midterm #2 Meditations chapter 1 Flashcards
Epistemology
What does it mean to know something?
* knowledge, belief, formation, rationality, philosophy of science…
Metaphysics
studies the nature of reality
* reality, freewill, God, philosophy of mind, human nature…
Minimal Skepticism
View we know very few things
Local Skepticism
view we lack knowledge in particular field (domain of discourse)
Solipsism
the view the only thing we can know about our existence
Global Skepticism 1
only thing I know is I don’t know anything
Global Skepticism 2
I don’t know anything
External Objects
objects exist in the world that are independent of our mind. Physically usually but no always
God
that which nothing greater can be conceived. Perfect being, regardless of opinion of preference
How do philosophers know that God is perfect?
because its defined that way
When did Rene Descartes live?
from March 31 1596 to Feb 11 1650
Name some facts about Rene Descartes
Philosopher, Scientist, Mathematician
➢ Invented the Cartesian Coordinate system
➢ Which becomes the foundations of analytic geometry ➢ Invented standard algebraic notation
➢ His work in math provided the basis for calculus to be
developed
➢ The “Father of analytic geometry”
Loading…
➢ The “Father of Modern Philosophy”
➢ Early supporter of Rationalism
➢ Widely considered a genius, even by his critics ➢ Discourse on the Method
● Meditations on First Philosophy
What is the Method of Hyperbolic Doubt? and why did Rene Descartes implement it
His goal was to attempt to defeat skepticism because no one could provide a response
1) Examine each belief
2) any reason to reject it I don’t know it
3) any reason impossible to reject it I know it
What were 3 catergories of meditation 1
1) the goal: to establish things that was are stable and likely to last
2) The skeptical worry: think about beliefs, very convinced true, some of these turn out to be false
3) the problem: how can I tell what beliefs are are trustworthy and true
How was Rene efficient about looking at his beliefs
he didn’t need to reject his beliefs one by one because a lot of the beliefs are based on other beliefs. This was done by finding the foundation of common beliefs and going after the foundation
What were the 3 arguments from Rene?
1) argument from sense 2) argument from dreams 3) the demon argument
What is Renes argument from senses
A lot of what he believes to be true comes from the senses. Yet sense always can deceive, mirages for an example
What is the dream argument?
that we could just be dreaming. Rene questions that he could be insane and that he is not who he is and its just a figment of his imagination from a mental hospital or the possibility is he is dreaming
What was Renes rebuke to the dream and insanity argument?
images are images of something…something real those images are not possible to experience or think unless you have already experienced them the mind cannot create something out of notring and math in dreams doesn’t change therefore the basic building blocks are there
What is the demon argument?
That a powerful being smarter then anyone conceives these experiences for one to exist yet none of it actually exists
