In Meditations on First Philosophy‚ René Descartes outlines his proof for the existence of God. However‚ philosopher David Hume offers a rebuttal in An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding that questions not only Descartes’ proof for God but also his notion concerning how humans acquire knowledge. In what follows‚ I will examine Descartes’ proof for God’s existence and then argue that Hume would disagree with it. Furthermore‚ Hume responds to Descartes’ claims that God is the source of our knowledge
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Socrates is known as the father of Western Philosophy and Descartes is known as the father of Modern Philosophy. Both are key members in shaping the world today. Socrates taught us to question everything and about critical thinking. Descartes taught us that humans are thinkers and that true knowledge is acquired through reason. Their lessons have inspired many different people who have made a foot print in history. Even today‚ one can see their influence guiding our information. Socrates has taught
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For Descartes‚ you cannot be sure of one’s existence or its reality so first you must doubt it. But as we see through his work Meditations on First Philosophy‚ we are presented by his loosening grip on his own sanity since he had continued to doubt and never accepting to believe in other realities but only is certain of his own existence. Descartes gave the awareness that to doubt is to know and to know is to doubt. He had known that he exists because he can think‚ and he cannot doubt that he can
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Descartes’ Mind-Body Dualism It can be very simple. Just look at the world and ask yourself‚ “Is everything material? Or are there things in the world that are not material‚ but I still know actually exist?” Then‚ ask yourself a second question‚ “How can I reach at a definition so that the two cannot be mistaken for one another other?” Descartes defined every material thing as having an extension‚ which is another way of saying it occupies space. Furthermore‚ those material things cannot share that
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There are three standard ways in which we apply the word “know”: 1. I know who a person is‚ 2. I know how to do something‚ and 3. I know that something is the way it is. The third of the previously listed kinds of knowledge is the propositional case: “I know that” is followed by a proposition. For example‚ “I know that I am now typing up my précis”. Hospers discusses the propositional condition of knowledge. There are three essential components to propositional knowledge: truth‚ belief‚ and
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DESCARTES’ GOD Do we need a watchmaker god or the Christian God and how is it related to living a good life? The subject of god has always fascinated me‚ and I love to read how others interpret their personal gods. It is also interesting to see how people prioritize their gods in their life and what importance they give their gods. I believe that the Christian God is the true God and exactly what we need to live a good life. We need to have a goal and an end‚ which is eternal happiness with
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The mind-body debate works to answer the following question: What is the bond between the mind and body? Descartes claims: “the fact that I can vividly and clearly think of one thing apart from another assures me that the two things are distinct from one another - that is‚ that they are two.” This notion of the mind and body claims humans to have both physical properties (the body and brain) and mental properties (the mind). The physical properties being: sensation‚ reproduction‚ movement‚ etc.
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Name Professor’s Name Class Date Descartes’ two proofs of God’s existence. Descartes uses the proof ‘Meditation III’ to explain God’s existence. The proof is given via reasoning‚ which begins by describing how he comes to such a conclusion. Descartes does this by mentally closing himself from the general public‚ ignoring hearing‚ sight‚ and the remaining of his senses as he deeply looks and depends upon himself. This state gives him the opportunity of making an introspective look at the existence
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November 2016 PHIL 201.002 Essay Philosophy of Rene Descartes Rene Descartes was a philosopher of French descendent. He served in the Dutch Army for a good deal of his life until one day he had a dream about advancing physics and mathematics. Not to long after his dream Descartes wrote one of his more famous works Meditations on First Philosophy. The Meditations show his ideals on how we know who we are and what our purpose is for this life. Descartes states many ideals in his book Meditations of First
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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
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