PHIL100- Rene Descartes

Work Galileo wrote discussing world systems

Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems.

The important concept Descartes aimed to construct

A universal science possessing the certainty of mathematics.

The principles Descartes utilized in his First Meditation

Hyperbolic doubt, rejection of physical senses, dream argument, innate knowledge, and mythical creatures

The Dream Argument posed by Descartes

The idea that we may be dreaming and cannot easily differentiate between being awake or asleep.

Evil Genius hypothesis

The assumption of a supernatural being whose purpose is to deceive us.

'God as deceiver' thought by Descartes

The notion that God could be powerful enough to deceive us, even about mathematical truths.

Cartesian Skepticism in Rene’s way

Disbelieve everything (only temporarily)

Empirical belief

Beliefs that we form through the use of our senses

Rene’s foundational belief

I can’t doubt my existence, I can doubt everything else, but I can’t doubt I am, bare minimum, a mind having thoughts (alive0

Clear and distinct ideas

Clear and distinct ideas for descartes are the standards for unquestionable truths.

Example of clear and Distinct ideas

a=a, and that Descartes exists

A priori statement

Can be evaluated for their truth value “prior to” observation or without having to look to the world for verification

(term did not come into use until after descartes)

A Posteriori

Describes statements that can only be evaluated for their truth value “after” observation in the world
(term did not come to use until after descartes)