Descartes

What does Turn to the Subject mean?

emphasis on the knower —> authority turns internal

Descartes was a French ____

Rationalist

What is Descartes’ method?

methodological doubt

What is an indubitable truth?

certainity

What are the sources of doubt of Descartes?

1. 5 senses

2. mind

3. God/devil

What is the starting point of Descartes’ Philosophy?

Cogito Ergo Sum

Cogito ergo sum means

i think therefore i am

What is solipsism?

“i alone'“ = be sure of own existence

Explain the significance of the Wax Example

to show the mind is a source of knowledge

What does Descartes mean by an innate idea?

general concepts that allow the mind to “understand” the world

How do the innate ideas allow Descartes to. make the claim that the mind “understands” the wax?

the wax is “understood” by mind via “mental scrutiny” using “innate ideas”

When one goes from sensation to intellect, what shift happens?

particular things —> to general knowledge

“A cause must have as much reality as the effect” - how does Descartes use this in his proof of God’s existence?

infinite being is greater than one’s self, then it could not have come from an imperfect, limited human mind

What is Descartes’ proof of God’s existence?

is an idea is so great that one’s mind can’t be the cause of it…The cause of objective reality “must reside outside the mind”

Descartes states that supremely perfect being must exist because":

the more perfect can’t arise from the less perfect

What is Descartes’ Mark of Craftsman?

God exists

What is the importance of God in Descartes’ philosophy?

gets out of solipsism

A think thing refers to

mind/soul

A non-thinking thing refers to

matter/body

A thinking thing has what as its essence?

thought

A non-thinking thing has what as its essence?

extension

The mind/body problem, in Cartesian philosophy, refers to what?

essence of mind = thought

essence of body = extension

how they work together

What is another name for the mind/body problem?

question of interaction

Does Descartes resolve the issue of whether other selves & the physical world exist?

God is not a Deceiver, other people are just like you

There are 2 ways of knowing the world for Descartes; what are they?

5 sense, innate ideas