Interpreting Descartes
His main principles of clear and distinct ideas, he says that we can only know anything through this.
What is the clear thinking of the mind.
Clear and Distinct Perceptions
what is "perceptions that are both present and accessible to the mind (clear) and separated from all other perceptions so that the idea contains only itself (distinct)
How does Locke's rejection of innate ideas differ from Descartes belief on innate ideas?
Descartes believes that there are some principles which are immediately known, such as the idea of the existence of the self and that of God's existence, These are principles which are revealed to us and cannot in any way be open to doubt. According to Descartes these principles are innate. In contrast, Locke does not believe that there is any certain knowledge. Instead, he believes in knowledge which is probable to a very high degree. Knowledge can and does rely on the senses and observations according to Locke. Locke rejects the existence of any innate principles or ideas.
Descartes argues that the senses cannot be trusted because dreams can appear to be real and exist, when they are in fact mere figments of imagination.
What is the Dream Argument
What is the one idea that Descartes is absolutely certain about?
(Hint: Cogito Ergo Sum).
What is that "I think, I exist."
How does Descartes being a foundationalist philosopher apply to his interpretation of clear and distinct ideas?
What is: Descartes is a foundationalist philosopher, and so states that fundamental natures of knowledge off shoot other ideas of knowledge. Thus, we can only know ideas clearly and distinctly if the foundations of our theories are true in the mind.
Methodic Doubt
what is "a way of finding certainty by systemically doubting everything"
How does Empiricism differ from Descartes view?
What is Descartes is a rationalist who believes that the knowledge that is derived from reason and logic while on the other hand empiricism is the knowledge that is derived from the senses, which Descartes believes we must doubt.
Descartes says dreams are just numerous complex combinations of things that exist. For example, he uses mythical creatures such as the unicorn which is a combination of a horse with a horn, both that exist separately.
What is the Painter's Analogy?
Why does Descartes say that the only way we can understand something is through pure perception of the mind?
What is: Becase everything we percieve in the material can decieve us. But the mind allows us to see the world rationally and apart from the deceptiveness of our senses. Thus, it is through pure thought alone and without distraction that we can understand something clearly.
What Does Descartes attempt to prove about the senses with his wax example?
- Hint: Anti-Empiricist thought.
What is the rejection of understanding by the senses. For he says that everything we percieve through the body cannot assuredly be clear and distinct. For everything of a material nature is subject to change/can change.
Evil Genius
what is "a powerful being that will supplant incorrect knowledge into our minds in order to deceive us"
How does Hobbes view of the immaterial mind differ from Descartes?
Descartes grants the importance of the human body, he believes that genuinely rational thought requires an immaterial mind. The mind uses a sort of idea that is distinct from the images of the imagination. Hobbes denies the existence of such an immaterial mind. He believes that there is no such thing as intellectual insight into the true and immutable natures of things by means of clear and distinct perception.
The idea that God made us and thus could have control over our thoughts, in which God makes us deceive ourselves.
What is the Deceptive God Hypothesis?
True or false: According to Descartes, there can be clear and distinct ideas that I am not the cause of.
What is true. I may be the cause of some ideas but other ideas I could not have made up myself. For they defy my perception and have an unchangeable, true essence with which I can know them. (i.e. the triangle example).
Can we ever have clear and distinct ideas when we dream as opposed to when we are awake?
What is no. Descartes says that dreams are ambiguous and unclear. They lack clarity and distinction as true perceptions and dreams are not of the same reality. Much of our dreams contain true topics and concepts, but they are often jumbled into imaginary composites. So, a concept in a dream could be true but, when combined, we have reasons to doubt these things.
Rationalism
the belief that knowledge can only be found through reason and thought alone
How does Hume differ from Descartes thought that whatever I perceive clearly and distinctly is true?
Hume argues that all knowledge comes from experience. He argued that our ideas are derived from impressions, which are more vivid and forceful mental experiences, and that all complex ideas can be traced back to simpler impressions. Unlike Descartes who states that clear and distinct ideas has a certain logical or rational force that is impossible to deny so it must be true.
There is a piece of wax with distinct attributes according to the senses such as its color, smell, shape, etc. and once it gets near the fire these attributes change. How does Descartes know the wax is still the same? Without the senses to rely on, one must only rely on mental perception, that is, without the influence of empiricism.
What is the Wax Example?
Descartes begins his Meditations as a skeptic, saying we have reason to doubt everything until we can understand it clearly and distinctively. What is one thing that seems unrealistic about this method of proof?
What is the fact that it's impossible to question and prove for certain every single thing in our universe. It simply is too labor intensive, and it cannot be done. Thus, we can try to form some clear and distinct ideas this way, but we cannot, realistically, use our mind to analyze everything we believe in this way.
Why does Descartes assert that there is reason to doubt even mathematics and logic? Why are these often unclear ideas?
The fact is that all topics of math are built upon foundations of learning and, so, are composite ideas. There are often multiple understandings associated with our logic. Thus, there is reason to doubt this logic even if the foundational concepts (like shapes) are ideas of the mind.
Cogito ergo sum
"I think, therefore I am"
What is the weakest point of Descartes Dream argument? Do we exist while we sleep?
Yes we do exist while we sleep because we are thinking things. I think therefore I am, is Descartes very well known phrase. If I am dreaming while asleep I am still existing because I am thinking it doesn't matter the content of my thought as long as I am still thinking I exist.
Descartes uses a triangle, whose form is unchangeable and eternal, to show that some ideas exist independently from the mind and whose properties are not mere ideas. He says that the properties of a triangle, what makes a triangle a triangle, are true because Descartes knows them clearly.
What is the Triangle Example?
What are the methods by which Descartes says we can think, and so, understand ideas clearly and distinctly?
(Hint: there are 8).
What are the modes of denying, willing, refusing, affirming, doubting, imagining, sensing, and understanding. All these abilities of the mind allow us to think and perceive ideas rationally.