DESCARTES Flashcards
(28 cards)
What is the definition of epistemology?
IS THE BRANCH OF ‘KNOWLEDGE’ IN PHILOSOPHY AND HOW WE COME TO KNOW THINGS
What is the definition of rationalism?
THE BELIEF THAT KNOWLEDGE CAN BE GAINED THROUGH REASON WITHOUT SENSE EXPERIENCE
What is the definition of empiricism?
THE BELIEF THAT KNOWLEDGE CAN ONLY BE GAINED THROUGH EXPERIENCE
What is the definition of scepticism?
THE VIEW THAT KNOWLEDGE IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTAIN BECAUSE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ANY KNOWLEDGE CLAIM TO BE PROPERLY JUSTIFIED
What is the definition of a priori knowledge?
KNOWLEDGE GAINED THROUGH REASON INDEPENDENT OF EXPERIENCE
What is the posteriori knowledge?
KNOWLEDGE GAINED THROUGH SENSE EXPERIENCE
Why did Descartes present his meditation through the voice of the first-person narrator?
TO FREE US FROM PRE-CONCEIVED OPINIONS | LEAD THE MIND AWAY FROM THE SENSES | PROVIDE A FOUNDATION FOR KNOWLEDGE THAT IS IMMUNE TO FURTHER DOUBTS
What is the method of doubt?
DOUBTING ALL OF HIS PREVIOUS BELIEFS AND ONLY WHICH IS INDUBITABLE WILL REMAIN | A SCEPTICAL TOOL YET HE AIMS TO USE SCEPTICISM TO ESTABLISH CERTAINTY
Where does Descartes stand at the end of the method of doubt?
SMALL AND DISTANT SENSE INFORMATION = DUBITABLE | VIVID SENSE INFORMATION = STILL TRUSTWORTHY
Where does Descartes stand at the end of the dreaming argument?
SMALL AND DISTANT SENSE INFORMATION = DUBITABLE | VIVID SENSE INFORMATION = DUBITABLE | ARITHMETIC AND GEOMETRY = INDUBITABLE
Why are those who do not believe in God not free of his deception?
BECAUSE THE EXPLANATION OF OUR EXISTENCE WOULD BE LESS PERFECT THAN GOD THEREFORE WE WOULD BE LESS PERFECT AND MORE LIKELY TO BE DECEIVED
Where does Descartes stand at the end of the deceiving God argument?
SMALL AND DISTANT SENSE INFORMATION = DUBITABLE | VIVID SENSE INFORMATION = DUBITABLE | ARITHMETIC AND GEOMETRY = DUBITABLE
What is the role of the malicious demon?
TO STOP THE NARRATOR FALLING BACK INTO OLD HABITS AND TO COUNTER THE WEIGHT OF PRECONCEIVED OPINION BY FORCING DESCARTES TO CONSIDER HIS FORMER BELIEFS AS NOT JUST DUBITABLE BUT FALSE
What are criticisms of meditation 1?
THE EXTENT OF DESCARTES’ DOUBT WAS UNNECESSARY | THAT INDUBITABILITY IS TOO HIGH A STANDARD | DESCARTES WAS NOT SINCERE | PROBLEMS WITH THE DREAMING ARGUMENT | DESCARTES’ METHOD LEADS TO A DEAD END
What is the whirlpool example?
CANNOT SWIM TO THE TOP (TRUST HIS OLD BELIEFS) | CANNOT STAND AT THE BOTTOM (NO CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE)
What is the archimedes reference?
ARCHIMEDES SAID “Give me a place on which to stand, and I will move the whole Earth!” | DESCARTES ASKED FOR A SINGLE POINT OF CERTAINTY TO GET HIM STARTED
What is the Cogito?
THE IDEA THAT IF I CAN THINK I MUST EXIST | “I am, I exist” | “I think, therefore I am”
What are the different interpretations of the Cogito?
AS A NECESSARILY TRUE PROPOSITIONS | AS A SYLLOGISM | AS A SELF-AUTHENTICATING STATEMENT
What is a clear and distinct perception?
A CLEAR AND DISTINCT PERCEPTION IS ONE THAT IS PRESENT AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE ATTENTIVE MIND AND SHARPLY SEPARATED FROM ALL OTHER PERCEPTIONS THAT IT CONTAINS WITHIN ITSELF ONLY WHAT IS CLEAR
What are innate ideas?
AN IDEA WE ARE BORN WITH HAVING
What are adventitious ideas?
SENSORY EXPERIENCE
Imagined ideas?
INVENTED THROUGH OUR IMAGINATION
What is the causal adequacy principle?
SOMETHING CANNOT COME FROM NOTHING | THE CAUSE MUST HAVE EQUAL TO OR MORE REALITY THAN THE EFFECT | LESSER THINGS CANNOT CAUSE GREATER THINGS
What is Descartes example of stones and heat?
STONES - A STONE MUST HAVE COME FROM SOMETHING GREATER OR OF THE SAME PERFECTION AS THE STONE | HEAT - HEAT CANNOT BE PRODUCED IN SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT HOT
