Throughout Meditation 1, René Descartes attempts to dissolve everything he once believed to be true and tries to establish what he can know for certain. However, by the end of Meditation 1, Descartes is left realizing that something as simple as even being next to fire (where he was writing) is not something he can know for certain. He is now back to square one of where he started. I will argue that Descartes’ dream argument is valid in relation to the external world. In this paper, I will explain the dream argument, offer examples of opposition to said argument, and finally, I will refute the claims against the dream argument.
1. The Dream Argument
In his work, Meditation 1, René Descartes ponders the idea of being able to differentiate …show more content…
Moore claims that there is an inconsistency found within the dream argument, specifically regarding premise two: “I don’t know that I’m not dreaming that P.” The inconsistency lies in the fact that René Descartes uses his idea of having dreams that are so realistic as a foundation for the argument. However, in doing this Descartes is then proving the second premise false. Descartes has declared the idea of knowing he’s dreaming rather than awake, disproving what the dream argument is trying to establish. In addition, one natural phenomenon that can also disprove the argument is lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is a state of dreaming where the individual on hand can recognize that he or she is dreaming. Furthermore, upon recognition of dreaming, the said individual can transform his or her dream. While the experience of lucid dreaming can vary between each person and might possibly be innate for some, not everyone has the ability to lucid dream, especially without practicing. This phenomenon demonstrates that regardless of Descartes, there are individuals that can determine whether he or she is in a dreaming …show more content…
Hutton’s paradox is this idea where Hutton thought if he were to ask himself while in a lucid dream if he was dreaming, then he must be in a dream since such a question wouldn’t arise in a waking state. However, later on in his life, he realized that this exact question was one he would ask during consciousness, thus disproving himself and bringing him to the same position as Descartes (“Hutton’s Paradox”). Furthermore, while in a lucid dream one may be able to realize that he or she is in a dream, the individual may also experience what is referred to as a pre-lucid dream. A pre-lucid dream is one where the individual on hand has no certainty of whether he or she is dreaming or awake (Daniels). This phenomenon shows that sometimes lucid dreamers may believe they’re in a dream, and they could get it wrong, thus debunking the severity of the idea of them being able to differentiate. Finally, one can’t be sure that what he or she is experiencing through both physical and imaginary—dreaming—sensations it to be of reality. While everything can be broken down into its simplest form, such as a cup, does this define whether I can know that there is a cup in front of me? For example, if I were to dream that my best friend, Austin had a pig snout for a mouth, butterfly wings attached at the back of his legs, and buttons for eyes, do I thereby
1. The Dream Argument
In his work, Meditation 1, René Descartes ponders the idea of being able to differentiate …show more content…
Moore claims that there is an inconsistency found within the dream argument, specifically regarding premise two: “I don’t know that I’m not dreaming that P.” The inconsistency lies in the fact that René Descartes uses his idea of having dreams that are so realistic as a foundation for the argument. However, in doing this Descartes is then proving the second premise false. Descartes has declared the idea of knowing he’s dreaming rather than awake, disproving what the dream argument is trying to establish. In addition, one natural phenomenon that can also disprove the argument is lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming is a state of dreaming where the individual on hand can recognize that he or she is dreaming. Furthermore, upon recognition of dreaming, the said individual can transform his or her dream. While the experience of lucid dreaming can vary between each person and might possibly be innate for some, not everyone has the ability to lucid dream, especially without practicing. This phenomenon demonstrates that regardless of Descartes, there are individuals that can determine whether he or she is in a dreaming …show more content…
Hutton’s paradox is this idea where Hutton thought if he were to ask himself while in a lucid dream if he was dreaming, then he must be in a dream since such a question wouldn’t arise in a waking state. However, later on in his life, he realized that this exact question was one he would ask during consciousness, thus disproving himself and bringing him to the same position as Descartes (“Hutton’s Paradox”). Furthermore, while in a lucid dream one may be able to realize that he or she is in a dream, the individual may also experience what is referred to as a pre-lucid dream. A pre-lucid dream is one where the individual on hand has no certainty of whether he or she is dreaming or awake (Daniels). This phenomenon shows that sometimes lucid dreamers may believe they’re in a dream, and they could get it wrong, thus debunking the severity of the idea of them being able to differentiate. Finally, one can’t be sure that what he or she is experiencing through both physical and imaginary—dreaming—sensations it to be of reality. While everything can be broken down into its simplest form, such as a cup, does this define whether I can know that there is a cup in front of me? For example, if I were to dream that my best friend, Austin had a pig snout for a mouth, butterfly wings attached at the back of his legs, and buttons for eyes, do I thereby