Descartes: Meditation One

Flashcards based on Descartes' Meditation One, focusing on key concepts in epistemology and foundationalism.

What is Descartes' main focus in his first meditation?

Descartes is focused on epistemology, questioning how we can know what we think we know.

What does Descartes mean when he says he needs to 'raze everything to the ground and begin again from the original foundations'?

He wants to discard all unreliable beliefs and rebuild his knowledge on completely certain and indubitable foundations.

How is Descartes' approach to philosophy different from Socrates'?

Descartes seeks solitude for deep reflection, while Socrates engaged in dialogue with others.

What is classical foundationalism according to Descartes?

Foundationalism is the idea that beliefs must be completely certain and indubitable, serving as the base for all other beliefs.

What are foundational beliefs compared to in Descartes' analogy?

Foundational beliefs are likened to the foundation of a house, which supports the entire structure.

How does Descartes begin to doubt his reliance on sense perceptions?

He notes that senses can deceive us, especially regarding small or distant things.

What is the 'dream argument' presented by Descartes?

He argues that if we can't be sure our dream perceptions are false, we cannot be sure our waking perceptions are true either.

What does Descartes conclude about beliefs with any doubt?

If there is even the slightest doubt about a belief, he discards it from his foundations.

What is the implication of Descartes' doubt regarding sensory perceptions?

Our belief systems might be unreliable because they heavily depend on sensory data, which may be deceptive.