René Descartes

Francis Bacon is a world-renowned English philosopher from the early years of 1561-1626. Bacon is famous for many of his philosophical works, including the Novum Organum. Published in 1620 the Novum Organum suggests an entirely new system of logic, which is based on induction rather than on the syllogism. Bacon recognized that the human mind is filled with incorrect and irrational ideas that are preventing them from interpreting nature accurately. These incorrect notions are described by Bacon…

So far, I have explained the development of a Newtonian approach to medicine as the result of the combination of a mechanical approach and a strict mathematical treatment of physiology, which ended in Cheyne’s iatromathematics. As Guerrini suggests, this combination is framed in the use of forces between particles as causes for several physiological phenomena and, particularly, those of the secretions. By emphasizing the mathematical elements of the demonstration, the Newtonian physicians…

understanding of others. He starts off his fifth lecture with Descartes and how he believes that we best understand ourselves through our own self-consciousness which is connected to our own physical body, which is located in physical space. Although Merleau-Ponty does agree with this, he fully cannot support it as a standalone statement. Merleau-Ponty’s reasoning for this then follows with our experiences of others. Descartes’ position on his statement estranges us from others due to the…

Throughout Meditations one and two, Descartes makes many arguments about many different topics within the area of philosophy. However one of the more important ones is the idea of “cognito”. This term basically means consciousness or mind when used in the context of Descartes’ Meditations. Furthermore, through his meditations, he seeks to create assurance that it is certain. He does this by making three main points to support his argument. The first point is one that involves this devil or…

Cogito ergo sum is perhaps the birth of the modern philosophical movement for multiple reasons. The famous phrase of Descartes’ when translated means, I think, therefore, I am, and was the first of a series of logical proofs that Descartes made to help prove his own existence. Up until this time, the history of modern philosophy had relied on arguments about or involving God. Descartes is credited with writing ““Meditations” as the rejection of medieval ways of thinking and the invention of the…

Descartes begins his journey toward the truth is in a natural way by questioning and doubting his thoughts, that which he knows, and what he accept as truth. In trying to answer the question, “What is human nature?” he seeks to understand what we are and who we are as human beings. Descartes’ method is doubt; he states in the first meditation what “truths” we should doubt. He “attack[s] those principles upon which all [his] former opinions rested.” For this, the first thing that he realizes as…

Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the zodiac, is the home of the wanderers of the zodiac. Sagittarians are truth-seekers, and the best way for them to do this is to socialize, talk to others and get answers to what they are questioning. Knowledge is key to these sagittarius people , because it fuels their broad-minded approach to life. The Sagittarian-born are strongly interested in philosophy and religion and often have faith and are optimistic. The story of a sagittarian begins with greek…

Reflections on Photography Roland Barthes (1915-80) was a French theorist and philosopher. Camera Lucida Reflections on Photography was his last book published in 1979. This book mainly circulates around the theme of understanding desire and nature of photography. He described that what makes it distinguished it from other arts? What are its benefits and liabilities? He did not focused on the formal aspects (composition) or social uses of the photograph but in actual his intent is on ontological…

addresses the issue of knowledge and dualism in this selection from her work. In this passage she is responding to Descartes dualism and the divide between animal and human consciousness. Descartes is a very strong dualist who believes in human exceptionalism, where humans are the only species who can use the mind, proposing a fundamental difference between the mind and matter. Descartes believes that animals are matter and therefore mechanical beings. This idea of human exceptionalism and…

although the mind and body were separate from each other they were still connected through their interactions with the brain therefore both affecting each other. Unlike Gilbert Ryle and another Materialist’s who believe there is nothing after death, Descartes believed that when people die their empirical body is left behind but their soul or mind with continue to God. However, Ryle dismissed this idea as simply theory about ‘a ghost {the mind} in a machine…