Untitled Flashcard Set

Method of Doubt

Descartes' approach to reject any belief that can be doubted in order to find a secure foundation for knowledge.

Cogito

The statement 'I think, therefore I exist,' which serves as a foundational certainty for Descartes, proving the existence of the thinking subject.

Mind-Body Dualism

Descartes' view that the mind (res cogitans) is a distinct, indivisible entity from the body (res extensa), which is divisible.

The Role of God

Descartes' belief that God is not a deceiver and that the existence of material objects is necessary because of the propensity to believe in them.

Intellect vs. Imagination

Intellect is the pure understanding that turns inward to ideas, while imagination focuses on creating mental pictures associated with the body.

Trauma

An event of utter helplessness that 'undoes' the self, leading survivors to feel fundamentally changed.

Relational Self

Brison's concept that the self is formed and sustained through relationships with others, distinguishing it from the Cartesian notion of individualism.

Embodied Memory

The idea that trauma reveals the connection between mind and body, with physical symptoms manifesting as body memories rather than narrative recollections.

Mestiza Consciousness

Anzaldúa's notion of consciousness that embraces complexity, ambiguity, and contradiction, challenging the idea of a unitary self.

Cultural Knowledge

Anzaldúa's assertion that knowledge is influenced by history, culture, and personal experience, particularly for those navigating multiple identities.

Resistance through Mythmaking

The process by which the Mestiza creates new myths and narratives by analyzing her heritage for both oppressive and empowering elements.

Critical Fabulation

Hartman's methodological approach to read historical archives in a way that amplifies the voices of marginalized individuals through imaginative reconstruction.

Waywardness

A practice of possibility that involves resisting governance by traditional structures that have historically foreclosed freedom.

The Master's Tools

Lorde's argument that oppressive systems cannot be dismantled from within; true change requires different approaches that embrace difference.

Difference as Strength

Lorde's view that diversity is a crucial source of creativity and interdependency, rather than a cause for division.