- What is Descartes problem, and what is his approach to fixing it?
- What sort of mistakes is he worried about?
- Why not evaluate each thing one at a time?
- Is this a worthy project? Is it possible?
Senses
- Can you trust your senses completely? Why/why not?
- Descartes claims we can't create new ideas in dreams - we're like a painter mixing colors. Do you agree with this claim? Why does this matter to Descartes?
- Describe the problem of the Evil Demon
Cogito Ergo Sum
- What does the idea "I think therefore I am" really mean?
- What does he know about himself?
- Do you agree on this idea of an "I" potentially existing distinct from a body? Examples?
Ball of Wax / Ship of Theseus (p21)
- Describe his "Ball of Wax" story
- Introduce Ship of Thesus problem
God
- Summarize his "trademark" argument
- I can imagine a perfect being
- All my ideas must have a cause (no new stuff, remember?)
- The cause must be at least as perfect as its effect
- Something at least as perfect as my idea caused it
- The only thing that could do that would be a perfect being
- So God must exist
- Problems...
- His optimism
- Existing religious philosophy on a series of causes
- "First mover" argument
Why does this all matter?
- Descartes is less valued because of his argument rather than his project
- He wants a firm footing for everything, so his first challenge is about epistomology and metaphysics.
- Starts a long running debate (Hume) about certainty. It's possible we may never know for certain... if so, that matters. It affects our outlook
- Humility
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