Rene Descartes Argument Concerning The Idea Of Space?

Superior Essays
In this essay, I will present Newton and Descartes’ argument concerning the idea of space. Rene Descartes’ argument, is that space is merely an extension of bodies in a plenum. This essay will outline how he holds the idea of three-dimensional spatial extensions and as consequence, how it affected his scientific groundwork. This essay will also outline Newton’s rebuttal to Descartes claim. Newton endorses the absolutist notion that space is separate from matter and time, and is immovable. Both parties state their theories and the rationale behind such theories, and it is left to the individual to assay the adequacy of the reasons presented in this idealogical conflict of plenum vs vacuum space. Rene Descartes rejects the anti-Aristotelian concept of vacuous space. In Meditations on First Philosophy, edited by Bailey, Andrew, & Johnston (2013), Descartes defines the “essence” of a substance as an; “extension in length, breadth, and depth which constitutes the space occupied by a body, is exactly the same as that which constitutes the body”. Descartes’ analysis of the world around him diverges …show more content…
Slowik brings Descartes' plenum universe under investigation and argues the problem of the perfect solidity idea. The Cartesian cosmological hypothesis states that; space was originally shared into analogous portions of balanced sizes, induced to have a preserved quantity of motion. The collisions of all the proportionate spatial parts created the 3 elements of matter and everything they encompass. Descartes' laws of nature do not divulge this condition of the Principles, which is significant to understanding the Cartesian motion. Slowik states that to produce such a law, it is necessary to regulate the precise method by which the relative quantities of volume, surface area, and matter all add to the preserved motions of the colliding system. However, rather than

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    At the beginning of his novel, “Candide,” Voltaire introduces the character Pangloss and his greatest philosophical and spiritual ideas he passes to Candide and Cunégonde: “Pangloss gave instruction in metaphysico-theologico-cosmoloonigology. He proved admirably that there cannot possibly be an effect without a cause and that in this best of all possible worlds the Baron’s castle was the best of all castles and his wife the best of all possible Baronesses. It is clear, said he, that things cannot be otherwise than they are, for since everything is made to serve an end, everything necessarily serves the best end. Observe: noses were made to support spectacle, hence we have spectacles.…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In Meditations on First Philosophy Rene Descartes attempts to reconcile a Christian metaphysics with a new epistemology contrary to the scholastic, Aristotelian worldview. He seeks new foundations that knowledge can be built upon and tries to accomplish this by identifying basic, indubitable axioms to derive more complex truths by. As Descartes had a background in mathematics and geometry, these tenets are proposed alike mathematical truths in that they are self-evidential. He calls these axioms ,”clear and distinct perceptions”. For the Cartesian epistemology and metaphysics to be plausible, these perceptions must be not only epistemologically privileged, but also universal and justifiable as mathematical truths are, in terms of semantics and self-evidentiality.…

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Descartes fifth Meditation presents the Ontological Argument for God’s Existence. Though many people find Descartes Ontological Argument for God’s Existence to be an unpersuasive and weak argument, I find it is a very strong argument that provides a strong foundation and argument for God’s existence. In this paper I plan to elaborate upon Descartes fifth meditation and slightly over the first and third. After this I will then explain its strong points and weaknesses. I believe Descartes Ontological Argument for God’s Existence in Meditation five to be a strong and persuasive argument.…

    • 1477 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    He first expounds on the law of space (no two objects can occupy the same space at the same time) to demonstrate that,” For we never finding, nor conceiving it possible, that two things of the same kind should exist in the same place…

    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Descartes Meditations takes us on an intellectual, meditative, spiritual journey inward, questioning what exactly, if anything at all, we can know with certainty. Descartes was active in physics and mathematics, as he was interested in the potential of science to give us the truth about the world. Descartes believed that knowledge has secure foundations and and that all other knowledge rests upon these foundations. Hence, in order to establish what is “firm and constant in the sciences”, it is necessary to establish the very foundations of all knowledge so that he could use these principles to base the reasoning process upon. For Descartes, this meant removing all sensory prejudice.…

    • 1946 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In this paper, I will argue that Moore’s replies to Descartes’ argument are satisfactory because of how he is able to show how Descartes’ universal…

    • 1346 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dolegui Wilfried Nanfack PHIL 2101-(ET6) For this paper, I’ll be talking about Descartes’s argument for dualism in the “sixth Meditation” and “multiple personalities”. Descartes, both as a philosopher and scientist, is at two levels of understanding of the real. It’s back to nature in a mechanistic framework to which the body is subjected, and at the same time, it supports a dualism of soul and body in which the soul escapes the body determinations. In his sixth Meditation the author methodically describes the characters that are unique to the soul and the body and raises the contradictions that result from their union. In addition, it plays a fundamental role in the game of passion that bases all of his moral theory.…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The discussion on whether the idea of God is innate has been held among many philosophers. There are two philosophers, Rene Descartes and John Locke, who both have come up detailed explanation and understanding of the idea of God. Descartes believes that the idea of God is innate and inborn with a human mind. Yet Locke argues that the idea of God is not innate. Two philosophers’ opinions reach a disagreement.…

    • 1691 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A Skeptics Inception In Descartes Skepticism he excises the idea of doubt and the never ending allurement to some sort of doubt that is within life. Descartes says that everything you know no matter how probable or improbable it is has doubt. In Descartes meditation one and two he goes over his three main points of doubt. First, he wonders if he may be crazy, secondly if he is dreaming and thirdly if he is being tricked.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Fundamental Theorem of Calculus The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus evaluate an antiderivative at the upper and lower limits of integration and take the difference. This theorem is separated into two parts. The first part is called the first fundamental theorem of calculus and states that one of the antiderivatives of some function may be obtained as the integral of the function with a variable bound of integration. The second part of the theorem, called the second fundamental theorem of calculus, states that the integral of a function over some interval can be computed by using any one of its infinitely many antiderivatives.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Descartes believes that God made the distinct mind and body interact in parallel with each other. Berkeley believes that God constantly perceives everything; therefore sensible objects can exist even when we don’t perceive them, because god still perceives them. The arguments relate to the argument between rationalism and empiricism. Rationalism relates with Descartes’ substance theory because he claims that intellect exists solely in the mind, that it is innate and only internal.…

    • 1212 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rene Descartes the father of modern philosophy, a philosopher known to believe things to be true until it was proven otherwise. In these meditations Descartes had complex opinions. In the case of Descartes in meditations a greater individual than him existed. Descartes’ claim insisted with the existence of the idea of God to the real existence of God. To support his argumentative opinions, Descartes points two distinct arguments that were utilized by “Augustine in the fourth century and Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century” (Shouler).…

    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Cartesian Dualism, a theory coined by Rene Descartes and examined within his sixth mediation of Meditations of First Philosophy, explains and theorizes the idea of the mind and body as two distinct substances. The theory states that the mind is not merely a physical brain as another organ of the body, but rather the non-materialistic mind and material body are two different entities. The body, having elements of extension have a reality with spatial relevance as it entails form, texture, location and weight. In comparison, the mind has non-spatial components that consist of humans’ realm of thought as it includes consciousness, images, emotions beliefs and desires. Cartesian Dualism presents many simple and seemingly rational arguments such…

    • 1950 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The argument in Descartes’ Sixth Meditation for the real distinction between the mind and the body ultimately secures his dualist position. Despite his argument appearing to make some mildly questionable leaps and seemingly ignore one potentially devastating point altogether, his position is clear and strong. I will begin by reconstructing Descartes’ argument, cover the grievances listed above, and then hope to argue that, despite these objections, Descartes’ position remains a sound metaphysical view. In the Sixth Meditation, Descartes begins by declaring that, firstly, all things one can clearly and distinctly perceive can be created by God, and secondly, if one can clearly and distinctly perceive one thing without calling to mind another,…

    • 1415 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout his “Meditations” Descartes will demonstrate that he is breaking away from the traditional way of thinking and metaphysics. And, throughout the text Descarte will lay out a foundation to a different way of thinking. One in which one does not solely rely on the senses to know things, but instead rely on an inspection of the mind. But, this conflicts with other philosophers of Descartes time, and it conflicts with what is being taught within the schools, Around Descartes time, many of the schools were using the writings of Aquinas and therefore Aristotle to teach, and they had become almost the center of philosophy. In this paper I will discuss and explain how Descartes’ views are different from the medieval and classical views of Aquinas and Aristotle.…

    • 1248 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays