philosophy 3.12.25

Hobbes and Materialism

• Hobbes' View on Matter and Motion

  • Claims that everything is material and based on motion.

  • Explores the implications when motion interacts with the nervous system and brain.

  • Raises the question of the ontological status of brain images and whether they can be both material and non-material.

  • Distinguishes between motion and matter to resolve philosophical paradoxes.

Descartes' Goals and Theories

• Primary Objectives of Descartes

  • Prove the existence of the soul and its immortality.

  • Prove the existence of God.

  • Challenge Aristotelianism as adopted by the Catholic Church.

• Move towards a mechanical and mathematical philosophy as an alternative.

• Emphasis on understanding the universe through matter and motion instead of divine craftsmanship.

Cartesianism

• Synthesis of Materialism and Theology

  • Descartes combines belief in God with the understanding of a physical universe governed by laws.

  • Establishes that the laws of physics reflect God's knowledge.

  • Proposes that the soul has a unique position within the physical world, unbound by physical laws.

Meditations and Cartesian Doubt

• Introduction to Cartesians Doubt

  • The meditations commence with establishing a point of certainty amidst skepticism.

  • Descartes employs the method of doubt to clear his mind of false beliefs.

  • Importance of finding foundational truths from which to build knowledge.

• Step One: Recognizing the Influence of Beliefs

  • Doubts all previous beliefs due to past experiences of misbeliefs.

  • Distinguishes between beliefs known through sense perception and mental reasoning.

Empiricism vs. Rationalism

• Examination of Different Ways of Knowing

  • Discussion on the reliability of sensory experiences.

  • Consideration that dreams could be misinterpretations of reality.

  • Exploration of knowledge based on logic and mathematics, which is presumed to be undoubtable.

• Potential for evil deceivers to distort perceptions or reason.

The Cogito Argument

• Famous Proposition: "I think, therefore I am"

  • Stating that the act of thinking confirms one's existence.

  • Even through doubt or deception, the thinker remains certain of their own being.

  • This foundational truth allows Descartes to assert that the self exists as a thinking entity.

Proof of God's Existence

• Moving Beyond Doubt to Certainty

  • Descartes argues based on the limitation of human thoughts.

  • Claims that we cannot create the idea of a perfect God from imperfect beings; hence God must exist beyond our minds.

• The importance of God in the validation of clear and distinct perceptions.

• Arguments against the idea of a perfect island as a counterexample to God's perfection.

Mind-Body Dualism

• Distinction Between Mind and Physical Matter

  • The mind is characterized as a thinking thing, while the body is extended and occupies space.

  • Mind and body are fundamentally different substances, leading to philosophical inquiries about the nature of existence and perception.

• Essential Nature of Mind: Thinking; Essential Nature of Body: Extension.

  • Complications arise regarding the location and essence of the mind, which lacks physical qualities and extends beyond typical spatial understanding.

Conclusion and Homework Assignment

• Encouragement to explore the misconception that mind and brain are synonymous.

• Students tasked with finding contemporary examples of this confusion and analyzing them through the lens of Cartesian philosophy.