Preview

Summary Of Descartes Conceivability Argument

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
255 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Summary Of Descartes Conceivability Argument
1. Descartes’ conceivability argument is that if something is conceivable. Then it is logically possible to exist and that if something is not conceivable, then it is not logically possible. Through this reasoning Descartes’ states that since it is possible to conceive that he could exist mentally without a physical form, it is therefore logically possible that one could exist without their body. Descartes’ logic, though valid in its presentation, does not provide the reasoning that perhaps, at least for some, is not possible for them to conceive of their body and mind existing as separate entities.
2. An identity theorist would say that once the body dies, the mind wouldn’t cease to exist. This is due to their belief that consciousness and
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Dbq Essay On Checks And Balances
    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Dbq Essay On Checks And Balances

    Ty·rant (noun) a cruel and oppressive ruler.When the colonies broke free from Great Britain they had to make a new government and they didn’t want it to be exactly like Britain. They needed to guard from tyranny for the new country.The Constitution helped to guard from tyranny because everything has balanced power, clear structures, and a series of checks and balances on each branch in the National Government.…

    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Phil 1101 Final
    • 2064 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Phil 1101 Final

    c. Objection 1: can we doubt the existence of our body, and cant conceive without mind, such as someone in coma who’s body exists but mind does not.…

    • 2064 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Character Analysis: Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston
    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Character Analysis: Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

    In the novel Their Eyes Were watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, love and the main character’s personal development throughout the story plays a very important role. The protagonist, Janie Crawford, encounters three major relationships that will develop her own personal growth and independence. Each encounter, Janie will experience different problems and solutions that will better her to develop self-confidence. As the novel progresses, her relationships with Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and Tea Cake develops her independence from a dependent and shy, flat character, to a round, strong character with a voice for herself.…

    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Phil 101 Questions
    • 4817 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Phil 101 Questions

    5. What is the point of Descartes' doubt about having a body? Why can't a thing that thinks, an "I think" (cogito), be a body? What is a body?…

    • 4817 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Descartes Substance Dualism Theory
    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Descartes Substance Dualism Theory

    For example, the mind provides functions such as thinking, doubting, hating, or desiring. In contrast, the body or brain are mere physical extensions, and simply represent how a person is shaped or the color of their skin. The body and brain do not provide contributions to the mental functioning of a being, and simply provide a physical platform under which the mental, and its own capacities of thought and contemplation, may be housed. As an extension, all things in the universe may be qualified as a body, a physical entity, or a mind, a thinking entity. Additionally, a mind does not need a body to provide it shelter, and regardless of ever having a body, a mind will exist for eternity because it lacks the characteristics of a physical entity, which cause it to degenerate. In conclusion, Substance Dualists perceive the mind and body as separate and distinct substances due to their unique abilities and…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Final Paper PHL Kloke
    • 1583 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Final Paper PHL Kloke

    These larger questions of the soul and the mind and their existence beyond human death has been debated and explored throughout time. Yet, we lack hard evidence to support the idea of the existence of the soul and its continued ‘life’ beyond the death of the body. Individuals have not returned from the grave to transmit this knowledge in any manner that can be tested, studied, and deemed true. What a soul is and why we have it is unique to the human experience. The Abrahamic traditions defines the soul as the “I” that lives within our body and acts through it. The soul is what makes each individual unique according to theologian Thomas Aquinas. Noted philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, all argued that the psyche or, the soul, was the “crown of the logical facilities”. Yet the mind is responsible for processing our human experiences and storing them as learned experiences that shape and mold our continued existence.…

    • 1583 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dehumanizing Effects Of Technology In Frankenstein And Blade Runner
    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Dehumanizing Effects Of Technology In Frankenstein And Blade Runner

    Both Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s 1982 film Blade Runner explore the dehumanising effects of technology. Although the texts differ in context they connect through their exploration of transcendent societal concerns. A key theme explored in both texts is the dangers associated with unrestricted and dehumanising technology.…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fourth Meditation Of Descartes Analysis
    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Fourth Meditation Of Descartes Analysis

    The essence of the main argument in the fourth Meditation of Descartes is to establish that there is a difference between God: his creator and himself, and how this difference does not taint the infinite abilities of God. Descartes commences his argument by first establishing his idea of being a thinking being. In his previous book, The Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy he sates,…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Descartes Sixth Meditation Argument Analysis
    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Descartes Sixth Meditation Argument Analysis

    He states that one can understand the mind to exist separately from the body. The middle term of the argument, as noted in the major premise is the separate understanding of two things, and he presents the idea of mind and body as the minor term. Descartes devotes a larger share of the argument to defending the minor premise, perhaps because the idea of body and mind as separate substances is more controversial than a general notion of separate substances as distinct. He goes on to expound not only the idea that the mind and body are separate, but that the essence of the human being lies in its nature as a thinking thing. As thought is the essence of the human being, and the principle attribute of the mind is thought, the mind can therefore be seen as more fundamental to humans than the body. Descartes acknowledges that it is likely for a body to be joined to the mind, however he maintains that one can still conceive of both body and mind as separate substances. And as the essence of the body is extension rather than thought, it is fundamentally less relevant to a thinking…

    • 1156 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Unger And Descartes Argument Analysis
    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Unger And Descartes Argument Analysis

    As long as one can think, as you are right now, you will exist. Now what if one did not have a mind? What if one wasn’t capable to think? This is where Unger’s argument seems invalid. Say the mind is a small part. What would happen if all the lobes, cerebellum, brain stem, and other brain parts finite amount were completely taken away, as Unger explains of the body. Yes, one would still have a physical body, even though that body would basically be a mindless vegetable (in reference to Rocky and Bullwinkle, 2000). With respect to Unger, one would still not exist because their parts can continue to be taken away until none are left. In my opinion, I totally agree with Descartes that one must have a mind; one must be able to think in order to exist. But I could not imagine myself without a body and only a mind. There would have to be some sort of vessel or something that could act as a body. I am kind of stuck between Unger and Descartes. According to Unger, nothing exists because of a finite amount of parts. In a way, this isn’t as persuasive as Descartes’ argument is. I couldn’t imagine a life without a mind, but the IPL also seems impossible due to the fact that not everything imaginable is possible (I can imagine myself being able to teleport, but that will never happen). Ultimately, if Descartes was able to respond to Unger, he would say “I think, therefore I am,” and Unger would say something along the lines of “I do not exist. Nothing exists! Finite parts!” If it had to come down to one decision, I would flip the coin and call heads, and that would be Descartes. I think this because if I did not have the ability to think, I would not exist. Clearly Unger had the ability to think of something so absurd, therefore, he does exist. And so do…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Descartes's Argument For The Existence Of God
    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Descartes's Argument For The Existence Of God

    The fact that Descartes is even considering the mere question of his own existence just proves that he indeed exists and that is certain. Further, he argues that we are essentially thinking things (res cogitans) that can know our minds clearly and distinctly. Descartes pitches a tent for himself firmly in the rationalist camp, as opposed to the empiricist camp. He constantly emphasizes that the clear and distinct perceptions of the intellect are the only sure means of securing knowledge, and ultimately concludes that the senses are not designed to give us knowledge at all, but are rather meant to help us move through the world in a very practical…

    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Descartes Divisibility
    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Descartes Divisibility

    I see why Descartes thinks a body is dividable because he believes that the body had mass. So if I lose any mass such as an arm or a leg, I would still have a body. It may not be a whole body with two arms, two legs and so on. Descartes believe that even though I would lose an arm or leg nothing is taken away from the mind. Which I believe he is right. I have seen what individuals can do without say an arm, or no legs. Just because I lose a part of my body doesn’t make me less of a person. There’s still ways to achieve goals or dreams with the right mind set. The mind is able to send signals to the body to help the body achieve certain challenges throughout life. The mind can make a person do amazing things but the person has to believe it is possible in order to achieve goals or dreams. So I don’t think the mind and the brain is the same but they need each other in other to work.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    1. How Does Carruthers Define The Mind-Brain Identity Thesis?
    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages

    1. How Does Carruthers Define The Mind-Brain Identity Thesis?

    After critically examining all the arguments, I do not stand in support of the identity theory because I believe though inter-related mental events and physical events differ. 3. There is undoubtedly strong nexus between the two; maybe a give and take or action and reaction relationship, but my prudence does not find both as identical things. 4. Hence, the theory does not cohere with my understanding of the mind and the brain and I believe that the mind is not the brain.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Descartes 5th Objection
    • 120 Words
    • 1 Page

    Descartes 5th Objection

    One of the replies which for me exemplifies one of the concerns is when it states that “I'm a finite thing and that compression put some limits on god, god is infinite thus I cannot comprehend god, however this does not precent me from perceiving god” this was the reply from the 5th objection which states that If I have an idea of god I should be able to comprehend it. Also in the fourth set of objection which said that god does not need a cause and therefore god is not the case of oneself. Descartes replies to this by saying that by using the word cause he was merely making an analogy between and effect and its cause.…

    • 120 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Descartes Ontological Argument
    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Descartes Ontological Argument

    Descartes was a foundationalist. His goal was to find certain indubitable ideas to use as a foundation to build his thoughts. His aim was to find a single or multiple certainties to build his thoughts off of. Descartes figures that if he can come up with a hyperbolic doubt and some idea can still survive through this ultimate doubt then this is the most certain scenario. This hyperbolic doubt becomes to believe is, “ not that there is a supremely good God who is the source of all truth, but that there is an evil demon supremely powerful and cunning, who works as hard as he can to deceive me” (Descartes 159). In Meditation III of his Meditations, Descartes aim to prove that this assumption is not true. By proving God, Descarte proves that…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics