Analysis of Descartes Argument - 788 Words

Write a three to four (3-4) paragraph essay (250 words) which analyzes the surprise ending of the reading selection.? Reading selection from Descartes Discourse on the Method (Part IV). Descartes begins with the problem of being able to prove his own existence but ends up with an argument proving the existence of God. Read more about the Discourse on the Method located at HYPERLINK http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/pdf/descdisc.pdf http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/pdf/descdisc.pdf. In his Discourse on the Method, Descartes essentially asked his famous question: how can we know that we are not deluded by a demon to think that we exist and he answered with his famous riposte Cogito ergo sum I think because I am I.e. the very fact that I am aware of my doubts informs me that I exist. He knows this from his intellect; therefore the mind is superior and more immediate to him than is the body. Descartes knowledge of his existence comes to him through a mediate perception, and he wonders what else can come to him through this immediacy. May God be deceiving him? The idea of God (as per entity) is one of perfection. The mind is fallible and corrupt. An idea of such perfection entering a corrupt mind can, therefore, be only be put there by God. So God exists. And, because God is perfect, He would not deceive anyone. Ipso facto, error only arises due to our limited intellect that is blocked by materialism from seeing true Knowledge. Descartess argument, actually, for God sShow MoreRelatedDescartes Argument And Doubt Argument Analysis1943 Words   |  8 PagesDescartes was a rationalist, he believed that knowledge is not coming from sense, but through arguments and persuasive arguments. In the â€Å"Of the Things Which We May Doubt† by Rene Descartes, Descartes argues how knowledge is gaining by rationalism rather than empiricism. Descartes states in the beginning that all his youth year had been accepting the wrong view from outside the world, he started to doubt everything that he knows. He should get rid off all the view he believed before and restartedRead MoreAnalysis Of Descartes Dreaming Argument812 Words   |  4 PagesDescartes dreaming argument suggests that perhaps our senses cannot be fully trusted because we cannot be certain we are not dreaming, and this means we therefore cannot be certain of anything. His evil demon argument is similar but uses the idea of an evil demon deceiving you instead of your senses. These sceptical arguments mean that we cannot be certain of anything at all for it may be happening whilst we are dreaming, or we are being tricked into thinking it is happening. I do not agree withRead MoreAn Analysis Of Descartes And The Dreaming Argument1390 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will take a look at Descartes Dreaming argument and Evil Demon argument. As well as discussing the ir weaknesses and strengths to later decide which argument is the best. Despite my belief of subjective truths, the reason for doing this is to establish both arguments on an equal basis and to determine which would be best in an argument. The Dreaming argument first showed up in Descartes First Meditation, where he focusses on the task to educate himself on his own doubt. When meditatingRead MoreAn Analysis of Descartes’ First Meditation Essay example1448 Words   |  6 Pages13th, 2012 An Analysis of Descartes’ First Meditation In Descartes’ First Meditation, Descartes’ overall intention is to present the idea that our perceptions and sensations are flawed and should not be trusted entirely. His purpose is to create the greatest possible doubt of our senses. To convey this thought, Descartes has three main arguments in the First Meditation: The dream argument, the deceiving God argument, and the evil demon â€Å"or evil genius†. Descartes’ dream argument argues that thereRead MoreEssay on Garber on Descartes860 Words   |  4 PagesAlex Burke 2/13/13 Modern Phil. MW 2pm Garber on Descartes: Rejection and Retention In Daniel Garber’s article, â€Å"Descartes against his teachers: The Refutation of Hylomorphism†, the metaphysics of the early scholastics is presented to show the similarities and differences between what Descartes was taught through scholasticism and what he came to refute. Through analysis of the article I will present what Descartes considered to be the central ideas of scholastic metaphysics, as wellRead More Descartes Wax Argument Essay1442 Words   |  6 Pagesof the wax argument is designed to provide a clear and distinct knowledge of â€Å"I†, which is the mind, while corporeal things, â€Å"whose images are framed by thought, and which the senses themselves imagine are much more distinctly known than this mysterious ‘I’ which does not fall within the imagination† (66). Through the wax argument, Descartes’ demonstrates that corporeal things are perceived neither through our senses nor imagination, but through our intellect alone. In this argument, you will seeRead MoreDescartes’ Cogito Argument Successfully Shows the Evil Demon Argument is Unsound888 Words   |  4 PagesDoes Descartes’ Cogito argument successfully show that the Evil Demon Argument is unsound? In this essay I will attempt to show that the philosopher, Renà ¨ Descartes’ Cogito Argument successfully proves the Evil Demon Argument to be unsound. By an analysis of the structure of the arguments and what they prove, I will show the evil demon argument to be unsound. An argument is unsound when the premises as false and the argument is invalid. This analysis of both structure and content will eventuateRead More Weaknesses of Descartes Arguments Essays1641 Words   |  7 PagesDescartes was incorrect and made mistakes in his philosophical analysis concerning understanding the Soul and the foundation of knowledge.   Yes, he coined the famous phrase, â€Å"I think therefore I am,† but the rest of his philosophical conclusions fail to be as solid (Meditation 4; 32). Descartes knew that if he has a mind and is thinking thoughts then he must be something that has the ability to think. While he did prove that he is a thinking thing that thinks (Meditation 3; 28), h e was unable toRead MoreDescartes Was A Metaphysical Philosopher Whose Main Goal1371 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes was a metaphysical philosopher whose main goal was to obtain and isolate lasting scientific knowledge due to the long-held beliefs that were being disproved during his lifetime. However, this proved to be quite difficult as the majority of his previously held beliefs were either doubtful or able to be proven false. In an attempt to work towards his goals, Descartes developed his Dream Doubt argument. When first analyzing this argument, it is important to analyze it for all its premisesRead MoreThe Meditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes916 Words   |  4 Pages The Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes is a thorough analysis about doubt. Descartes describes his method of doubt to determine whether he can truly know something. One of his major arguments is the proof of the existence of God. In this paper, I will attempt to unravel the flaws in Descartes proof that God exists. In the meditations, Descartes evaluates whether or not everything we know is a reality or a dream. Descartes claims that we can only be sure that our beliefs are true