Descartes Arguments Of Skepticism
Descartes has two arguments for skepticism, the first the dream argument and then second the evil demon argument. Both examples are used to raise doubts in things that we may commonly believe to be true. It seems right to believe that if you know something then you cannot doubt that thing, but Descartes wants to be certain in every way that he does in fact know that thing. These two examples are used to bring skepticism into your knowledge of things. For example, I know that I am taking a test, but how do I know if I am not dreaming and I am home asleep, or some evil demon is deceiving me into thinking that I am taking a test when in reality I am not.
The dreaming argument follows
1. Your senses may be deceptive and therefore you cannot always …show more content…
But I dream
3. Dreams and being awake are indistinguishable.
4. Images that I see when I am dreaming are all in my mind, they are composites of simple things that are true. They are based on things we have seen in the real world. Such as a picture of a dragon, or colors. It makes no difference, if these things exist in reality; the composite things in our thoughts are made up of simple things that are true.
5. Subjects such as math are the treat the simple things are not to be doubted. You cannot doubt math even in a dream, 1+1 must still equal 2.
6. Therefore, while you can doubt composite things, you cannot doubt simple things.
Descartes builds upon this conclusion that composite things can be doubted but not simple things, with the argument of an evil demon deceiving you to conclude that all things must be doubted. This one works that you can only truly know something if you can know for certain that an evil demon, God, or some deceiver with ultimate power isn’t deceiving you about that thing. However, you cannot be certain that this demon is not deceiving you. If there is a deceiver they ca deceive you to thing 1+1= 1, 2, 3, 4, 50, 1,1000, or anything that demon wants. Therefore, you must have doubt what 1+1 really is. This follow for anything you may know; therefore, you cannot really know anything and must doubt everything, including simple things such as math. However, you know no matter what you are the one experiencing these deceptions, and therefore you do not
The dreaming argument follows
1. Your senses may be deceptive and therefore you cannot always …show more content…
But I dream
3. Dreams and being awake are indistinguishable.
4. Images that I see when I am dreaming are all in my mind, they are composites of simple things that are true. They are based on things we have seen in the real world. Such as a picture of a dragon, or colors. It makes no difference, if these things exist in reality; the composite things in our thoughts are made up of simple things that are true.
5. Subjects such as math are the treat the simple things are not to be doubted. You cannot doubt math even in a dream, 1+1 must still equal 2.
6. Therefore, while you can doubt composite things, you cannot doubt simple things.
Descartes builds upon this conclusion that composite things can be doubted but not simple things, with the argument of an evil demon deceiving you to conclude that all things must be doubted. This one works that you can only truly know something if you can know for certain that an evil demon, God, or some deceiver with ultimate power isn’t deceiving you about that thing. However, you cannot be certain that this demon is not deceiving you. If there is a deceiver they ca deceive you to thing 1+1= 1, 2, 3, 4, 50, 1,1000, or anything that demon wants. Therefore, you must have doubt what 1+1 really is. This follow for anything you may know; therefore, you cannot really know anything and must doubt everything, including simple things such as math. However, you know no matter what you are the one experiencing these deceptions, and therefore you do not