René Descartes

Dualism, which is described on page 94, “holds that what exists is either physical or mental (“spiritual”); some things, such as a human person, have both a physical component (a physical body) and a mental component (a mind).” Descartes was an incredibly important figure in history and is said to have begun the age of modern philosophy (page 96). He created the famous phrase of “I think, therefore I am” when he was looking for “a measure of certainty that escapes even the most incredible and…

When it comes to Nicholas of Cusa and Rene Descartes and their ideas of the infinite, the differences are many while the similarities are few. Nicholas of Cusa, who lived from 1401 to 1464, recognized the open-ended, positive aspect of nature which later led him to view the infinite as a never-ending circle; a changing and developing circle that is. In contrast, Rene Descartes, who lived from 1596 to 1650, struggled with trusting whether or not the world even exists outside of the private ego—to…

“Free Will” is a philosophical term of art for a particular sort of capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from various alternatives. However, it is crucial to note that the action that we choose might not correspond to the outcome that we desire as free will is solely pertinent to the course of action, not the result. Throughout the millennia, a significant number of philosophers postulated that the concept of free will is in the vicinity of moral responsibility which in turn…

Hannah Kovach LPHI_250_01 April 5th, 2016 Descartes’ Theory of the Mind The mind is about mental processes, thought, and consciousness. The body is about the physical aspects of the brain and how the brain is structured. Philosophy of mind is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind, consciousness, mental events, mental properties, mental functions, and their relationship to the physical body. One of the central issues discussed in philosophy of the mind it this relationship…

Two philosophers that have heavily influenced the world of philosophy as we now know it, René Descartes and John Locke, have not always agreed on the same beliefs. In fact, they almost always argued on what each other felt was true except for the unlikely agreement on a few things. This brings me to one particular argument dealing with the issue on innate ideas. Descartes side of the argument believes that we born with ideas (innate ideas) and Locke believes our ideas come from experience and…

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…

Even though the Meditations First on Philosophy was published in 1641 by René Descartes, he started working on this book in 1639, as revolution of sorts that ended with the Prince of Orange intervening on René’s behalf. This “controversy led Descartes to post two open letters against his enemies” that got him to involve a Prince and Princess, and charges where raised that “stemmed from various misunderstandings about his method and the supposed opposition of his theses to Aristotle,” the things…

In their respective works, Francis Bacon and René Descartes both philosophise on existence and knowledge. However, their reasons for writing are different, as are the points they are trying to convey. This impacts the way they write, and specifically, how they use examples to further their arguments. Even if those examples share the common theme of bees, Bacon uses a scientific form of classification to highlight the bee, versus Descartes’ more sensual analysis of a ball of wax. Francis Bacon,…

In Meditations on First Philosophy written by René Descartes, he offers a formulation that as long as I am thinking, I must exist. And the meaning of “I” turns out to be “a thinking thing” (4). However, I come up with a different idea. I am thinking because I already exist instead of that I am thinking; therefore, I exist. It makes a difference because thinking of something only proves the process exists. In the second meditation, Descartes holds the idea that thinking proves a person’s…

In René Descartes’ Meditations of the First Philosophy: Third Edition, he remarks “I am... precisely nothing but a thinking thing” (p. 27). The possibility that Descartes is nothing but a thinking thing brings in the question of the physical existence of his bodies or even if he exists in the first place. Once Descartes has established that he is a thinking thing, he is convinced that as long as he is thinking he must exist. The action of sensing his surroundings is a form of thought. As long as…