Descartes

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Created by
Ephie

Cards (17)

  • Descartes is considered the 'Father of Modern Philosophy'
  • Descartes created the starting point for modern philosophy
  • Descartes argued the idea of radical dualism
  • Radical dualism of the extended body and extended mind
  • Descartes believed he was unable to doubt his existence as he was a thinking being
  • Descartes had a religious agenda
  • God and the soul are examples where proof "ought to be given with the aid of philosophy rather than theology"- Descartes
  • Matter is res extensa- Latin for extended thing, so: 'extended substance'
  • Mind is res cognita- Latin for 'mental substance'
  • Descartes came up with three proofs for the mind and body being distinct substances
    1. Argument from doubt
    2. The Argument from Divisibility and Non-Divisibility
    3. The Argument from Clear and Distinct Perception
  • Argument from Doubt: Meditation II
    1. I can doubt my body exists
    2. But I cannot doubt that I exist as a thinking thing (doubt is a form of thinking)
    3. Therefore, I am not identical with my body
  • Issues with the Argument from Doubt
    • Most philosophers believe the mind is a product of the brain, which is a part of the body
  • The Argument from Divisibility and Non-Divisibility: Meditation VI
    1. All bodies take up space, and are therefore divisible
    2. Minds do not take up space and are not divisible
    3. Minds are radically different from bodies
  • Qualia- The state of mind is indivisible. Smell and sight can be increased and decreased but not divided, unlike physical objects
  • "if... any part of the body is cut off, nothing has thereby been taken away from the mind"
  • Issues with the Argument from Divisibility and Non-Divisibility
    • Modern neuroscience shows a close correlation between the mind and brain. When the brain is damaged, the mind can be damaged as well
  • The Argument from Clear and Distinct Perception: Meditation VI
    • Whatever I clearly and distinctly perceive as two different things can be created by God as two different things
    • I have a clear and distinct idea of myself as a non-extended thinking thing: "I think therefore I am"