René Descartes

scientific revolution. Formed by the ideas of René Descartes and Sir Francis Bacon, scientific rationalism stated clearly that a person should take nothing for granted and scientifically prove what is correct to believe in. French Descartes encouraged questioning long-held beliefs and accepting nothing until it had been proven. He was adamant that people must always strive to rationally understand the physical world. Bacon’s beliefs were similar to that of Descartes, but in addition, he…

There is a clear distinction between rationalism and empiricism–two theories of epistemology, which focuses on the theory knowledge through a philosophical lens. Rationalism centers around the ability to use knowledge with reasoning and that knowledge comes from innate ideas. Others believe that our senses could actually lead to true knowledge, as opposed to relying on innate ideas and reasoning. Many criticize rationalism and whether innate knowledge exists or is even pertinent. In this paper,…

A French philosopher, René Descartes, explained a concept called dualism. This concept identifies the mind as having the ability to be conscious, have self-awareness, and separate itself from the body. Descartes believed that the mind controlled the brain through the body, “he placed the seat of the mind in the brain and linked the mind to the body” (Ellison 4). This concept has greatly evolved over the past few centuries; however, Descartes’ original theory created a foundation for regarding…

mind. Consciousness means the state or quality of awareness, or of being aware of an external object or something within oneself. René Descartes defined the belief of thought (pensée),Pensee means a though or reflection, this is a poetic from of an epigram, and it is a terms of reflexive consciousness or self-awareness. In this Principle of Philosophy (1640) Descartes, wrote the word ‘thought’ (‘pensée’) he completed , to understand all that of which we are conscious as operating in us. The…

intensified due to new methods and discoveries achieved in the Scientific Revolution. The Scientific Method of observation and experimentation created by Francis Bacon and a testable hypothesis inspired Isaac Newton to make a range of discoveries. Rene Descartes, “The Father of Modern Philosophy” and mathematician, questioned even the basis of his own knowledge, yet, much of the later Western philosophy is in response to his…

Cornelius Jansen (1585-1638) [Aquoi, Louvain, Paris, Ypres]. Jansen tended to support the Augustinians in a struggle against the Jesuits, whom he accused of granting absolution without sufficient regard for the disposition of penitents. He maintained that the utter corruption of human nature made man helpless, without free will, and completely dependent upon the grace of God for salvation. He and his followers (the Jasenists) were noted for their severity and moral rigorism. Jasen was…

of what true knowledge comes from. Immanuel Kant’s perspective joins both the rationalists approach and the empiricists ideas. Kant expresses, reasoning and sensory processes are both important factors to uncovering certain or true knowledge. Réne Descartes, a rationalist, believes that any knowledge that is doubted can be rejected. As well as, any knowledge that is based on sensation can also be rejected. I consider this idea incorrect, because I believe that knowledge is derived from what we…

Evening Thoughts by Thomas Berry Thomas Berry argues that a confluence of developments and ideologies of mankind has led to an end of the Cenozoic era, and that the “expansion of the life systems of earth is being terminated,” necessitating a commitment by mankind to embark upon a “transformation from an anthropomorphic norm of reality and value to a biocentric or geocentric norm,” which he describes as the Ecozoic era (43). He proposes that the underlying impetus to mankind’s troubled…

Lumières Revolutions “Give me Liberty, or Give me death!” cried out the British American colonists on the eve of their independence movement. Yet, the tale of liberty does not begin with the cannons sounding the American Revolution, instead, the story begins with a quill and ink pad in France. In particular, the idea of the social contract, where the power of kings rested solely on the social acceptance of the populace, inspired Americans to clamor for reform against the imposing British crown.…

a new way of looking at the world that emphasized reason and natural law at the expense of revealed truth and tradition, and it held out the promise of almost unlimited progress for mankind” (Thackeray and Findling 1998, 77). Scholars such as Rene Descartes, Francis Bacon, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes wanted to free people from ignorance in the hopes that it would lead to a happier, more productive society. As a side-effect of this enlightenment, science prospered because it too emphasized…