Abstract This paper examines how in "Meditation II" Rene Descartes states that he is a "thinking thing" (Descartes 16-18). It analyzes what Descartes meant by this statement and how it has worked into Descartes other meditations on truth, reality and existence.
Abstract This paper is an examination of Descartes book, "Meditations on First Philosophy." The author examines the steps that Descartes took in order to prove his hypothesis that God is a deceiver. He examines three different proofs and shows how Descartes comes to these realizations only after a careful and logical thought process in which he tears down and rebuilds everything that he believes in.
From the Paper "Now he bases the rest of his proof off of these three observations. Because he has been convinced that something comes from something, the idea he has of God had to have been created by something, either himself or something else. He then states that he is finite and imperfect, and thus he cannot have an idea of the infinite and perfect on his own. He, being finite and imperfect, is not as powerful as the thought he has of an infinite and perfect God. Therefore, because he is not powerful enough to create this idea, it must have come from some other source."
Abstract This article examines the way in which Descartes has become incorporated into popular culture in a number of ways. The writer discusses the way how Descartes and his philosophy has influenced advertising. The writer describes that this is a process that has tended to distort the essentials of Descartes' philosophy.
From the Paper "Despite the fact that Rene Descartes has fundamentally influenced modern Western culture and traditions, people are relatively unaware of the nature of his contributions. As has been the case with other great Western artists and thinkers, Descartes has become commodified. People only know about his philosophy to the extent that he has been successfully used to sell things: either the idea of philosophy itself or some product. Just as the Mona Lisa seems at this point to have been used to sell nearly everything, Descartes' declaration that I think ... "
Abstract This paper argue that Descartes' argument of the mind having ascendancy over the body is correct from a scientific point of view. The author points out that the mind is made up of electrical impulses and energy is essentially infinite. The paper agrees with Descartes ultimate conclusion although some of Descartes methods for arriving at that conclusion are not considered valid.
From the Paper "In this essay, I argue that Descartes' argument of the mind having ascendancy over the body is correct. Speaking strictly from a scientific point of view, of course, Descartes is correct. The body is flesh, and therefore finite. The mind, however, is made up of electrical impulses and energy is essentially infinite. Therefore, long after the body has gone the impulses that made up the mind will have converted into another form of energy and still exist in our world's system."
Abstract This paper discusses how Descartes' Grand Project was a good idea because identifying and establishing philosophically certain beliefs was necessary in order to provide a solid foundation upon which to base sound philosophical theories. It further explains that Descartes understood that if the foundation was flawed, everything that rested upon it would be flawed, so he formulated his method of doubt in his Meditations on First Philosophy in order to establish a solid foundation he and other philosophers could rely upon. The paper then reports that in considering material provided in Meditations I through IV, it is evident that Descartes' purpose was to systematically question everything he had believed up to that point, logically test its veracity, and subsequently identify unquestionable truths.
Abstract The paper examines the philosophy of Pascal, Montaigne and Descartes through a textual analysis. By observing the subjective reasoning that both of these philosophers imply, one can realize why they choose an inner relativity in relation to the truth. Although the truth in philosophy always questions the objectivity of truth in normative "Enlightenment Era" philosophy, Pascal, Montaigne and Descartes agree that the human mind can perceive truth within its own reasoning apparatus. The paper explains that in essence, Montaigne and Descartes agree on the subjective will of the mind that reveals the pattern of truth in human thought.
Abstract This paper examines Renee Descartes' "Meditations", and explains that within this writing, he justifies his faith in reason by a circuitous route. The paper explains that Descartes accomplishes this by first raising all of the epistemological doubts of skeptics - and then vindicating his faith in reason by advancing an argument for trusting certain aspects of our rationality. In the process, as far as he is concerned, he manages to: ... "tear down everything and begin anew from the foundations [in order to] ... establish ... firm and lasting knowledge". The paper then goes on to argue that contrary to establishing his faith in reason, to a very large extent, the new foundation that Descartes erects, and pins his firm knowledge on, is his certainty of the existence of God.
Abstract Nativist thought, that which focuses on the idea that there are some "innate ideas existing prior to concrete experience (Fancher, 26), allows for the existence of archetypal knowledge and a communal unconscious. Empiricism is a philosophical doctrine that asserts that all knowledge is derived from experience. According to the empiricist, all ideas are derived from experience. Nativism, as espoused by Descartes, requires that the soul be embodied with knowledge and experience prior to association with the body.
Abstract Rene Descartes, in his Meditations on First Philosophy, addresses a wide variety of questions, from nature of the self and perception, to the demonstration of the existence of the world and of God. However, his argument in these Meditations begins at a point of radical scepticism concerning the existence of the universe and the nature of reality. Central to this argument is the idea of Cartesian dualism, or the separation of rational intellect from the body and the senses. In this context, this paper will argue, through a examination of various facets of Descartes' argument, that in the final analysis Meditations on First Philosophy retains a measure of this scepticism in its refusal to accept the position that knowledge may be acquired by the senses. 4 pgs. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Abstract This paper describes Rene Descartes' use of Aquinas's five ways of knowing that God exists, identifying God's perfection as the major thrust of Descartes' ontological argument in defense of God's existence.
From the Paper "Rene Descartes in the Third Meditation draws upon arguments advanced earlier by St Thomas Aquinas to demonstrate that God exists. Having declared himself to be a thing that thinks that is to say that doubts .."
Tags:Descartes, Thomas Aquinas, God, First Prime Mover
Abstract This paper provides a general biography of Rene Descartes, as well as a basic summary of his philosophical tenets. The paper also discusses Descartes' accomplishments in the field of mathematics as well as philosophy.
From the Paper "Often considered the father of modern philosophy, Renee Descartes is one of the most influential ground-breaking thinkers in the history of human thought. Indeed his accomplishments go beyond the field of philosophy as he was an elite mathematician who is credited with inventing analytic geometry. However it is Descartes' work in laying the philosophic foundation for modern scientific thought that is his greatest achievement. Descartes' philosophy was deeply rooted in rationalism because he began his inquiry by questioning the very validity of the knowledge that man believes he possesses."
Tags:descartes, biography, skepticism, philosophy, God, existence, cogito ergo
Abstract In this paper, it is shown that the ever-changing cycle of language over a variety of cultures present relativism as the main argument for language games in the work of Wittgenstein and Descartes. Invariably both philosophers agree on relativism as a basis for understanding language, but differ greatly on how to perceive meaning. The paper shows that although Descartes presents reasoning as the key aspect of language that imparts greater status to human beings, he cannot provide any real hard evidence to decry the ostensive nature of words that Wittgenstein imparts on language.
From the Paper "This philosophical study will examine the relativism that resides in language games that are discusses in the writings of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Renee Descartes. By analyzing the various elements of Wittgenstein's "ostensive' relativistic approach to word meaning in language, one can realize how this compares to Descartes' relativism in declining real meaning at all in language games. In essence, one can compare and contrast the relativism associated with language games within the philosophical concepts brought forth by these philosophers. Ludwig Wittgenstein evaluates language through the concept of "ostensive" approaches to language. This form of relativism defines language as a meaning that is defined by a certain culture or belief, which cannot truly verify meaning through societal and ethnic bias."
Abstract This paper reviews the history, work and teachings of Socrates, Plato and Descartes. This paper goes on to discuss Descartes' attempt to distinguish between the real world and the metaphysical which, much like Plato, comes up with a duality.
From the Paper "Perhaps no two philosophers are more discussed and more revered among the modern study of philosophy than Plato and Descartes. Plato, famous for taking the wisdom of his teacher Socrates and forming it into something completely different than what had come before him and being the teacher of Aristotle who would come after him, is probably most known for devising a system of metaphysics based on perfect, theoretical "forms." It is this theory of forms that will inform this paper, so far as Plato is concerned. The father of modern philosophy, Rene Descartes, was also as groundbreaking as the afore-mentioned Greek who came centuries before him."
Abstract This essay discusses Descartes' claim that knowledge must be based upon clear and distinct ideas, as our senses can deceive us. The writer gives examples of events that we cannot take for granted that we understand. The paper discusses the validity of Descartes' claims.
From the Paper "A Critical Account of Descartes' Claim that Knowledge Must be based on Clear and Distinct Ideas, Because our Senses can Deceive Us Most people are quite certain that they have knowledge of the world around us. For example, I am certain I am typing this essay, and you the reader are presumably certain you are reading it and about to grade it. However, Descartes set out to show that we cannot be certain about such things, and that in fact our knowledge must be based on clear and distinct ideas. He did this so convincingly and persuasively that his work on epistemology is still studied today."
Abstract This paper looks at Descartes' ideas of how one perceives reality and how these ideas of reality or non-reality are determined by the mind. Based on his Meditations, the paper argues against Descartes' idea that there are three different ways the mind perceives things, and only things that do not exist within the person and have a "more perfect" source can truly be said to exist.
From the Paper "Do we really know what we think we know? Can we really prove the existence of an external world outside of our selves? According to Descartes, humans can and do have knowledge of the external world obtained through our senses and thinking processes. In Descartes' Meditations, he explores the ways in which this knowledge is necessary and how it relates to the ability to prove the existence of God. This paper will examine various aspects of this discussion, specifically looking at the arguments used by Descartes in his Meditations which seek to prove that yes, we can have knowledge of the external world."
