Meditations

What did Descartes establish in his Meditations?

He established foundational knowledge, the process of methodological doubt, and arguments for the existence of God, among other philosophical insights.

What is the process of methodological doubt?

It is a systematic process of doubting the veracity of one's beliefs to establish what can be known for certain.

What are the Illusion, Dream, and Evil Demon Arguments?

These arguments question the reliability of sensory perception and the certainty of knowledge, suggesting that one could be deceived by illusions, dreaming, or a malicious demon.

What is meant by foundational knowledge?

Foundational knowledge refers to beliefs that are certain and serve as the basis for other knowledge.

Why does Descartes believe his existence is beyond doubt?

He concludes 'Cogito, ergo sum' (I think, therefore I am), asserting that the act of thinking is proof of his existence.

How does Descartes define himself as a thinking thing?

He posits that his essence is defined by his ability to think, contrasting with Aristotle's hylomorphism, which views beings as composites of matter and form.

What does Descartes mean when he says his thoughts are true and not to be doubted?

He believes that the contents of his thoughts, when clear and distinct, are true and serve as a foundation for knowledge.

What is the God of Classical Theism?

The God of Classical Theism is characterized as a perfect, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent being.

What types of proof for God does Descartes discuss?

He discusses cosmological, teleological, moral, and ontological proofs, noting limitations in which he can use at the start of the 3rd and 5th Meditations.

What is Descartes' 'trademark' argument for God?

It argues that the idea of God as a perfect being must have originated from a perfect being, distinguishing between formal and objective reality.

How does Anselm's Ontological Proof for God relate to Descartes?

Descartes replaces Anselm's 'Greatest Conceivable Being' with 'Perfect Being' in his version of the proof.

What is Kant's objection to the Ontological Proof?

Kant argues that existence is not a property or predicate that can be attributed to a being.

What is the Cartesian Circle?

It is the claim that Descartes commits circular reasoning in his proof of God's existence and the reliability of clear and distinct perceptions.

What is Descartes' argument for knowing what his senses tell him are true?

In the 6th meditation, he argues that clear and distinct perceptions are true, addressing the problem of error.

What is the basic claim of Substance Dualism?

Substance Dualism posits that the mind and body are distinct substances that interact.

What arguments for Substance Dualism rely on Leibniz's Law?

Arguments include Descartes' Divisibility Argument, infallibility, privacy, extension, and intentionality.

What is Descartes' Conceivability Argument?

It suggests that if something can be conceived as possible, it must be possible, though it faces objections regarding logical and causal possibility.

What is Princess Elizabeth's objection to Substance Dualism?

She questions how two distinct substances (mind and body) can interact causally.

How does Descartes respond to Elizabeth's objection?

He suggests that the pineal gland is the point of interaction and proposes the idea of parallelism.