Week 4 Writings
5
“The fact that it is I who am doubting and understanding and willing is so evident that I see no way of making it any clearer. But it is also the case that the “ I” who imagines is the same “I”. For even if, as I have supposed none of the objects of imagination are real, the power of imagination is something which really exists and is part of my thinking. Lastly, it is also the same “I” who has sensory perceptions, or is aware of bodily things is it were through the senses.” – Page 389 Analysis In this passage, Descartes is basically re asoning with himself one of his main principles to doubt everything. Descartes got to the point where he even doubted if he even existed himself. Descartes says that reality can be easily be alte red since many of the beliefs that he thought were certain eventually proved to be wrong. Therefore, Descartes based everything on doubt, hoping to build knowledge again from the ground up. The main point that Descartes is trying to achieve is to find out if he even exists himself. Descartes eventually reasons with himself that he does exist using a few arguments. Descartes says that if he does not exist, how can there be an imagination. An imagination can only be true if a person is ac tively imaging it. He also states that if he did not exist, he would not be able to feel with his sensory perceptions. He treats this as a foolproof way and uses this method to see what else truly exists. Using this method, Descartes goes on in trying to prove that God does e xist. Descartes eventually goes as far as to plug his e ar, close his eyes and tr ied to completely stop using all his sensory perceptions to try to prove if God is real. Descartes reasons that God is too perfect to be created by his own imagination, and thus must be real. He states that God must exist because humans are an extension of God. If God didn’t exist, then humans cannot exist. He says that the difference between essence and existence is that perfection is part of God’s essence and perfection is a part of existence, which means that God must be real. Cultural Comparison In the movie Unknown, starring Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris, Martin loses his memory while in a fatal accident. Martin then goes on a mission in order to find out who is act ually is. He starts out from scratch and builds back his identity little by little. Martin eventually discovers his old identity. This movie connects with the passage, because both Martin Harris and Descartes are trying to prove things to be real. Both Descarte s and Martin Harris first try to prove that they are real themselves. Then the go on to prove that the other parts of their life are also real. Descartes goes on to prove that God is real while Martin Harris goes on to prove that his job and family is real.
Transcript of Week 4 Writings
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“The fact that it is I who am doubting and understanding and willing is so evident that I see no way ofmaking it any clearer. But it is also the case that the “I” who imagines is the same “I”. For even if, as Ihave supposed none of the objects of imagination are real, the power of imagination is something whichreally exists and is part of my thinking. Lastly, it is also the same “I” who has sensory perceptions, or is
aware of bodily things is it were through the senses.” – Page 389
Analysis
In this passage, Descartes is basically reasoning with himself one of his main principles to doubteverything. Descartes got to the point where he even doubted if he even existed himself. Descartes saysthat reality can be easily be altered since many of the beliefs that he thought were certain eventuallyproved to be wrong. Therefore, Descartes based everything on doubt, hoping to build knowledge againfrom the ground up.
The main point that Descartes is trying to achieve is to find out if he even exists himself. Descarteseventually reasons with himself that he does exist using a few arguments. Descartes says that if he doesnot exist, how can there be an imagination. An imagination can only be true if a person is activelyimaging it. He also states that if he did not exist, he would not be able to feel with his sensoryperceptions. He treats this as a foolproof way and uses this method to see what else truly exists.
Using this method, Descartes goes on in trying to prove that God does exist. Descartes eventually goesas far as to plug his ear, close his eyes and tried to completely stop using all his sensory perceptions totry to prove if God is real. Descartes reasons that God is too perfect to be created by his ownimagination, and thus must be real. He states that God must exist because humans are an extension ofGod. If God didn’t exist, then humans cannot exist. He says that the difference between essence andexistence is that perfection is part of God’s essence and perfection is a part of existence, which means
that God must be real.
Cultural Comparison
In the movie Unknown, starring Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris, Martin loses his memory while in afatal accident. Martin then goes on a mission in order to find out who is actually is. He starts out fromscratch and builds back his identity little by little. Martin eventually discovers his old identity.
This movie connects with the passage, because both Martin Harris and Descartes are trying to provethings to be real. Both Descartes and Martin Harris first try to prove that they are real themselves. Thenthe go on to prove that the other parts of their life are also real. Descartes goes on to prove that God is
real while Martin Harris goes on to prove that his job and family is real.
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Online Resources
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/descartes/meditations/Meditation2.html
Rating: 5
This site has a very beneficial summary. The author from the site summarizes each paragraph in modernterms so that the reader is able to understand the meaning of the passage. In addition, the site is run byOregon State University, so it comes from a credible source.
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/descartes/1639/meditations.htm
Rating: 5
This site was the most helpful site in helping me understand Descartes mediations. The site essentiallybreaks down each sentence of the meditation as compared to breaking down whole paragraphs at atime. The site is also really well organized.
Philosophical Dictionary
A POSTERIORI –
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a posteriori is relating to or derived by reasoning of observedfacts.
According to Dictionary.com a posteriori is inductive reasoning from particular facts or effects to a generalprinciple.
A posteriori is the deduction of conclusions using particular facts or observed principles.
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The “evil genius” plays the role of an extremely powerful spirit that strives to deceive people. Descartesdoes believe that the “evil genius” exists because it is needed to balance the world in order to continuethe creation of doubt.
2. How does Descartes turn everyday “doubt” into a conceptual tool of philosophical importance?
Descartes stresses that “doubt” is the ultimate tool to prove truths from falsities. Descartes employs thismethod because he learned many things that ultimately proved to be wrong when he was little. Helearned that if he can use doubt to question everything, he would be able to prove what is real from whatis not.
3. Are you sympathetic with Descartes’ desire for absolute certainty, or should we be willing to simply get
What role does the “evil genius” play in Descartes’ project? Does Descartes really believe there in an evilgenius?
along with probabilities?
I am sympathetic with Descartes’ desire for absolute certainty. Some people need to be absolutely certainabout things before they are willing to accept the truth.
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