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8 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Why was Descartes considered the father of modern philosophy?
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he introduced the idea that all knowledge is the product of clear reasoning based on self evident assumptions. This idea became the foundation for modern philosophy.
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What is Descartes looking for in the first two meditations?
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In the first meditation Descartes demolishes all his old opinions by finding reasons to doubt them. Then in the second meditation he is looking to find anything which has certitude.
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Descartes role of doubt
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basic strategy is to defeat skepticism. He begins by doubting the truth of everything, even the fundamental process of reasoning itself. If any particular truth about the world can survive this extreme skeptical challenge, then it must be truly indubitable and therefore a perfectly certain foundation for knowledge.
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Descartes example with wax
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He states that wax has certain characteristics that makes us distinguish that it is wax. The way it feels, smells, looks proves that it is wax. The wax then is burnt and turns black or is melted, yet we still have no problem saying that it is wax. He concludes that these are not characteristics of wax itself. The way it is now, is totally abstract from the thing itself.
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Descartes first principle
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"I think therefore I am"
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The First Proof for Gods existence
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He builds his entire argument upon his “I think therefore I am.” From this single observation, Descartes notices that the idea of his existence is very clear and distinct in his mind; based upon this clarity and the fact that he has just determined his own existence, he deduces a rule—that the things that he sees as very clear and very distinct are all true. He realizes that within him lies this idea of a perfect being and that he is incapable of producing this idea alone. Descartes determines that such an idea must have a formal reality, a cause.
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Weakness in Descartes proof of God
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He uses his imperfect judgments to decide what attributes are perfect and which are not. He then applies the ones he judges as perfect to God. In doing so, he is assuming that his judgment is as perfect as the idea of God. If Descartes did not think that his judgment was as perfect as the idea of God, he would not have used it to determine the qualities that God possesses. The final difficulty that I discovered in the proof involves the usage of the concepts of formal and objective reality. I cannot fathom that for me to have an idea, it would necessarily exist. To illustrate, I can think of a God and I can also think of a being so absolutely imperfect. Since Descartes holds that existence is perfection, how can this idea of an absolutely imperfect being exist?
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Descartes view of nature and physical objects that we can know with certitude.
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Physical objects and nature are objects of understanding. If you understand them clearly then they are true.
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