Chapter 6 Flashcards
(9 cards)
What was Descartes’ plan to defeat skepticism?
He decided to make as powerful an argument for skepticism as could be made, then defeat that argument. To do this, he would take away every belief he couldn’t be absolutely certain of, then rebuild his foundation of knowledge from the ground up.
What is the problem with trusting our senses?
Our senses can be tricked or be lying to us and we wouldn’t know it. In addition, we could be dreaming or in a computer simulation like the Matrix.
Explain Descartes’ idea of the “evil genius”.
Since certainty is just a psychological feeling, the idea of the evil genius is the idea that a malevolent god-like being who loves to torment us and see us wrong could have created us, and he makes us feel that things are certainly true when in reality they are not.
What does “cogito ergo sum” mean?
“I think, therefore I am”
What reason does Descartes give for God’s existence?
We are unable to conceive of the idea of ultimate perfection (God) on our own. But we have this idea of God/ultimate perfection. Only a perfect being could have come up with this idea. Thus, for us to have this idea, God must exist and have caused it.
What subject was Descartes especially delighted by at school? Why?
He was delighted by mathematics because of the certainty and evidence of their reasoning.
Why does Descartes compare the ancient moralists to “magnificent palaces with no better foundation than sand and mud”?
Because they laud virtue but give no adequate criteria of virtue, and they frequently lauded apathy, pride, despair, and other vices and virtues.
Throughout Meditations, Descartes uses the metaphor of tearing down an old house and rebuilding it stronger, What does this metaphor refer to?
This metaphor refers to tearing down his false beliefs and rebuilding his beliefs on only things he can be really certain of.
Is Descartes a skeptic?
No, because he sought to find a firm foundation for his knowledge, not to doubt everything for the sake of doubting.
