Introduction (33–36)‚ Descartes argues that our senses must be trustworthy because ideas that are innate to us‚ but defective‚ would not have been built into us by a God that is perfect (36). He shows this by first arguing for the existence of God‚ and from there he deduces that all of our clear and distinct ideas are innate and entirely trustworthy (36). By proving that all of our clear and distinct ideas are caused by God and that God is an infinite and perfect (non-deceptive) being‚ Descartes believes that
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have been many arguments and philosophical beliefs of the existence of god. For many centuries‚ there have been many attempts by many philosophers to prove the existence of God. Many philosophers’ arguments for the existence of God come in many different evidence like using science‚ personal experience‚ history and philosophy. Looking at the philosopher’s point of view‚ I have come across two arguments that explain the existence of god which is the cosmological and ontological argument. As of today
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Descartes’s Dream Argument This would all be well and good‚ were I not a man who is accustomed to sleeping at night‚ and to experiencing in my dreams the very same things‚ or now and then even less plausible ones‚ as these insane people do when they are awake. How often does my evening slumber persuade me of such ordinary things as these: that I am here‚ clothed in my dressing gown‚ seated next to the fireplace – when in fact I am lying undressed in bed! But right now my eyes are certainly wide
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Let’s dive deep into these arguments‚ throughout this semester‚ I have come across various rational arguments that aim to prove the existence of God. These arguments take different philosophical approaches‚ all attempting to demonstrate the presence of a divine being through different lines of reasoning. These arguments are closely tied to what Anselm referred to as "perfect being theology." According to this concept‚ God is the most perfect being imaginable‚ possessing all perfections to the utmost
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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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Evil Demon vs. Dream In the movie The Matrix the image of Neo waking up introduces us to the main character. The point of such awakening is to put the viewers under the impression that Thomas Anderson is in fact not dreaming‚ and back to the real world. Then‚ after he goes out clubbing‚ he finds himself turning off his alarm‚ waking up again. However‚ no scene in which Neo physically goes to bed exists in the film. Also‚ the movie builds an unreal environment around the main character. After reading
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Methods and Meditations on First Philosophy is a discourse by Rene Descartes‚ which largely focuses on the nature of humanity and divinity. This essay is a discussion of this discourse‚ and will summarize‚ explain and object to various parts of his work. The majority of this essay focuses on Descartes Sixth Meditation‚ which includes his argument that corporeal things do exist. 1. There clearly exists a passive faculty of sensing and I use it involuntarily. 2. If there exists a passive faculty
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logically possible as substance dualism‚ the latter cannot be the right account of the mind and body. What Descartes needs to show (to secure the success of his argument‚ i.e. demonstrate that the mind and the body are separate substances) is that it is logically impossible for the mind and body to be the same substance; but‚ as he fails to do this‚ I must reject his conceivability argument‚ and Cartesian dualism in general as the right account of mind and body. A further criticism of substance
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Among Descartes’ many notable arguments‚ in the Sixth Meditation he makes a case for the real distinction between mind and body. This idea that mind and body are distinct was not common during Descartes’ time and conflicted directly with the popularly accepted scholastic view of the human being as a hylomorphic substance. The argument of the Sixth Meditation draws on much of Descartes’ own work concerning substance‚ attributes and distinction. In this paper‚ I will argue that he arrives at the conclusion
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Dismantling Descartes’ Divisibility Argument In this paper‚ I will be discussing René Descartes’ Divisibility Argument in support for the idea of substance dualism. Descartes first presented this argument during the sixth meditation within his philosophic treatise‚ “Meditations on First Philosophy.” After making a series of assumptions and providing his argument via three premises‚ he concludes that the mind and the body can indeed exist apart. I intend to step through each of Descartes’ assumptions
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