Descartes’ Meditations - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Descartes’ Meditations

Meditation One: Concerning Those Things Which Can Be Called Into DoubtSlide2

Section 18

Descartes realizes his opinions may be false.He feels compelled to “raze” his prior knowledge to the ground and build it back up (Yoda-like).This task is enormous, so he waits until later in life to undertake it.

He begins his assault on his opinions.Slide3

Section 19

Descartes will throw any opinion away if it has the slightest bit of doubt, which they all do.Everything he has known has come through his senses, which have been wrong before.

Senses have been accurate, but how can we tell we are not insane or dreaming?Slide4

Section 20

Descartes assumes he is dreaming.Even if dreaming, things must have an origin for your mind to conceive them.For example (mine), you cannot dream about a tree if you have never seen a tree.

Descartes uses the analogy of a painter.Slide5

Section 21

From this he concludes that anything dealing with composite things must be called into doubt (i.e. Astronomy, physics, medicine).Math does not have to be doubted.2+3=5 and a square has 4 sides whether asleep or awake.Slide6

Section 21 Continued

Admits belief in God that created him.Assume everything about God is fiction.Must call God into doubt.Slide7

Section 22

He must always be mindful of these doubts.Opinions keep returning, weighing him down.Better to have complete distrust than trust anything.Slide8

Section 23

Concludes by saying he will assume God is trying to deceive him.He says this task is tiring and overwhelming.Slide9

Meditation One: Focus Questions

Can we trust our senses? How are they useful to our knowledge of “self”? Is he right?How do we know this is reality?Is mankind happily ignorant?

Are we composed of our biases? How do these biases affect us? Where do they come from? Can we get rid of them?Slide10

Meditation Two

Concerning the Nature of the Human Mind: That It Is Better Known Than the BodySlide11

Caution!

Descartes is essentially thinking out loud. At times, he may seem to be contradicting previous statements. This might be caused by a change in his thinking.Slide12

Sections 24-25

Begins by summarizing his points in Meditation One about doubts.Even if senses are false and God is a deceiver, he must exist since he thinks (I think, I exist).

Proceeds to determine what he is.Slide13

Section 26

He used to think he was made of arms, legs, hands, etc.He makes a distinction of his body and soul (Duality*).Says that sensing and thinking are not part of body, but of soul.Slide14

Section 27

He contemplates his body, but cannot bring himself to believe they exist.Admits sensing cannot happen without body.Concludes he is a thinking thing.Slide15

Section 28

He is nothing physical since he assumes they are all false.He will focus only on things known to him.Whatever he is, it is not dependant on those things unknown to him.

Concludes he is a thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, imagines, and senses.Slide16

Section 29

Reaffirms that even if a deceiving God exists, it is still “I” that is thinking.If he is dreaming, then his senses are false. However, since he thinks he senses these things, his senses are part of his thinking.Slide17

Section 30

He will attempt to contemplate corporeal things (i.e. bodies).Uses wax as his “body.”The wax has the qualities you would expect.

The wax changes when brought close to fire; yet, the wax remains wax despite changing properties.He knows this not through his senses since his senses “sensed” its original form.Slide18

Section 31

He knows the wax has innumerable changes possible even though his imagination cannot process these changes. Therefore, his mind judges the qualities of the wax.

The mind’s inspection can be weak or strong depending on how closely the inspection is.Slide19

Section 32

Since you describe the wax as was instead of describing its properties (as he would a man), his mind concludes the wax is wax, not his senses.Slide20

Sections 33-34

By knowing the wax, or any body, one comes to know themselves even greater.Objects (i.e. bodies) are perceived not through senses but by the intellect.Slide21

Meditation Two: Focus Questions

Are we separated by body and mind? Is our mind separate from our body?How do you define man? Are we more than a thinking thing? Is someone in a coma no longer a man?

Is it our mind or senses that give us knowledge of a body? How might they work together rather than separately?Slide22

Meditation Three

Concerning God, That He ExistsSlide23

Part 1Slide24

Section 35-36

Reaffirms his conclusions from Meditation Two.Whatever he perceives clearly and distinctly must be true.Must inquire whether God exists; if not, he can never be certain of anything.Slide25

Section 37

Makes classifications:Ideas : Man, sky, etc.Volitions, Emotions, or Judgments : Idea PLUS something beyond the idea, such as a fear, affirmation, or denial.Slide26

Section 38

Ideas cannot be false.Judgments can be false if I judge the idea to conform with certain things outside me.

Adventitious things (coming from outside) definitely come from outside and not within.These feelings come even if he wills against it.Slide27

Section 39

Cannot put faith in natural impulses because they have led him astray before.Even if outside ideas do not come from within, it does not follow necessarily that they are produced from things outside.

They may be produced by something unknown to him.Slide28

Section 40

Even if these ideas do come from outside of me, it does not mean they resemble those things (i.e. in reality a fire may not actually emit heat).

Sun example – Math vs. Senses – Senses perceive the sun least resembling of its reality.Ergo, blind impulse, not judgment, formed basis of belief that things outside him send images of themselves. Slide29

Meditation Three: Part 1 Focus Questions

How might Descartes be mistaken in his assertion that no idea may be false? Are there moments when ideas are false?

How might common sense provide criticism for Descartes? Can common sense (i.e. impulses) be a philosophical concept?How might Descartes contradict himself with the sun example?Slide30

Part 2Slide31

Section 41

There is as much reality in the cause as in the effect (i.e. if a thing exists, then the product of that thing exists).Ergo, something cannot come from nothing.

Ergo, again, he cannot possess the thought of a stone (or any thing) without that thing existing somewhere in reality.Slide32

Section 42

All ideas stem from one another, but there is no infinite regress.If you go back through ideas long enough, you will eventually get to one archetype of that idea.

Ideas in you are images of a greater, perfect thing from which your ideas were drawn.Slide33

Section 42 Cont…

He cannot be the cause of an idea (assumption).Therefore, he must not be alone in this world.Something which is the cause of his ideas also exists.Slide34

Section 43

His ideas consist of himself, God, corporeal things, angels, animals and men.Ideas about men, animals, or angels can originate from ideas of himself, corporeal things or God (assumption).

Ideas of corporeal things cannot originate from him because he can never be sure about their qualities.Heat/Cold Example (absence of heat = cold, or absence of cold = heat?).Slide35

Section 44

The little he does know about corporeal things can come from ideas within him.About the other ideas of a corporeal object he does not know (i.e. extension, shape, position, motion) may not be in him formally, but they may be in him eminently because he is a substance, and the other ideas are modes.Slide36

Section 44 Definitions

Substance- Anything that is self-subsisting.Principal Attribute- The attribute of a substance that makes it a substance.Mode- Any other attribute that is NOT the Principal Attribute.Slide37

Section 45

Must determine if any trait of God could have come from within.God to him is infinite, independent, supremely intelligent and powerful, and created everything.

Since he “probably” could not have come to those ideas from within, God exists.He is finite, so the idea of infinite could not have come from within (assumption).Slide38

Meditation Three, Part 2 Focus Questions.

Descartes says since he is finite he cannot know infinite. Can we know opposites without seeing the opposite (i.e. can I know cold by only feeling heat?)?

Does man possess the ability to conceive of an idea from nothing? Can we accidentally create an idea (i.e. origins of fire)?Can man be the cause of his own idea?Slide39

Meditation Three Part 3Slide40

Section 46

Clearly understands that more reality exists in infinite object than finite object (assumption).Therefore, idea of infinity does not come from knowing opposite, but rather idea is inside him.

God must then exist How can he know his defects if not for a perfect being to compare it to?Slide41

Section 46 Cont.

Idea of God contains more objective reality than any other idea.The idea of God has is most true. True to the highest degree.Slide42

Section 47

What if, though, these same perfect truths are in me without my knowledge?I am gaining more knowledge all the time.If potential is in me, I can at a future time have all the power of God.Slide43

Section 47 Cont.

That’s all baloney.First, God contains no potential.Second, nothing can ever be added to God’s knowledge like it can with mine.

Third, objective being cannot be perceived by potential being, only actual being.Slide44

Section 48-49

Could I exist without this God existing?If I came from myself, I would not have denied myself those things I do not possess.A being is needed to create myself at every point in my life. There needs to be a cause for me being here now, and that cause is God, not myself.Slide45

Section 50

Whatever created me must also be a thinking thing with same ideas of perfection.What created me must be God. Or, if a thinking thing other than God created me, God must have created them, ad infinitum.

No infinite progress (i.e. you eventually get to God) since that thing also preserves you at every point in existence.Slide46

Section 51

Perhaps several units hold various aspects of perfection, which all came to together to create me.Impossible since I have an idea of the unified perfection of God.

(But he HAS the idea of several perfect units coming together, so according to Descartes, then, that must also exist.)Slide47

Section 51 (cont) through 52

Parents cannot be the creator since they do not preserve me; they merely gave me the matter I perceive to be me.Concludes, I have idea of perfect thing (God), therefore God must exist.Slide48

Meditation Three Part 3 Focus Questions

What assumptions does Descartes make in his argument for the existence of God?What leaps of logic does Descartes make in his argument for the existence of God?Slide49

Meditation Four

Concerning the True and the False.Slide50

Section 53-55

Idea of the mind is greater than the idea of corporeal things.God cannot deceive since deception and trickery are part of imperfect beings.Man errs not because God is imperfect, but because man’s imperfection is part of God’s perfect reality, which we can never know.Slide51

Section 56-62

Will is given to him by God, and it is essentially equal to the will of God.Error occurs when the intellect (which is less than God’s) cannot keep up with the will.Will has a greater scope than intellect.

Will is infinite, but intellect is finite.If your intellect keeps pace with your will, you will complete understanding. Impossible, however, because of the limitations of intellect.Slide52

Meditation Four Focus Questions

AddSlide53

Meditation Five

Concerning the Essence of Material Things, And Again Concerning God, That He ExistsSlide54

Section 63-64

Must analyze his idea of things and discover which are distinct and which are confused.When he discovers truth of a thing, it is as if that idea was in here previously.

Ideas, even if non-existent in world outside of his mind, were not created by him since he cannot will them to be different (i.e. triangle).Slide55

Section 65

Idea of triangle, though sensed, is not given to him by senses because he has ideas of other ideas not perceived in nature.Same is true for God; since I perceive him to exist, he must exist just like the triangle.Slide56

Section 66-67

Maybe since I can think of a mountain and valley separate from each other perhaps I can think of a God who exists even though he does not exist.

Sophism here (lack of logic disguised as logic).A mountain and valley are inseparable just as God and existence is inseparable.He is not free to think of God freely as he is a winged horse because the necessity for God and existence to be inseparable forces him to think this.Slide57

Section 68

I must ascribe all aspects of perfection to God, even if at the time I do not consider them at once (much like I realize a triangle without pondering the triangle’s properties).He cannot understand how there would be two gods, nor how he is finite, therefore he must exist as a single, infinite, perfect being.Slide58

Section 69

Only things I am convinced of are those things that I conceive clearly and distinctly.Even if I did not have my religious prejudices, I perceive God so clearly and easily, so he must exist.Slide59

Section 70

If I were ignorant of God, nothing would ever be certain. My opinions would be constantly changing.So God must exist since without him no perfect knowledge could come about anything else.Slide60

Meditation Five Focus Questions

Provide a counter argument to one of Descartes’ premises in M5.

Write a thesis statement in which you will argue for Descartes’ position.Write a thesis statement in which you will present a counter argument to one of Descartes’ premises but then explain how Descartes could logically respond to that counter argument.Slide61

Meditation Six

OF THE EXISTENCE OF MATERIAL THINGS, AND OF THE REAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE

MIND AND BODY OF MANSlide62

Section 72

Argument overall as to if material exists or if it is only imaginedFirst figures out the difference between imagination and intellectDeclares that imagination requires effort such as in his imaging of the

myriogon (10,000 sided figure), while no mental effort is needed to imagine and comprehend a triangleSlide63

Section 73

Power of imagination is not necessary for living; even if I did not have imagination, I would be the sameIntellect is looking toward the mind while Imagination is the mind looking at the bodyConcludes the body (probably) existsSlide64

Section 74

Descartes asks himself why does he imagine things better by means of the sensesHe begins by listing all of the senses that he perceives in lifeSenses + Memory = ImaginationSlide65

Section 75

He asks himself another question: Can he know that something exists outside himself based only on the information he receives from his senses?First, he must perceive an object though his senses

Them, he doubts his perception and assesses causes for his doubtFinally, he reassesses truth about the object based on the conclusions he has madeSlide66

Section 75 (Continued)

Next, he states that he cannot control what he perceivesTherefore, ideas perceived by sense are less susceptible to doubt than ideas formed through meditationHe proves that ideas do not come from himself; they come from withinSlide67

Section 76-77

We cannot think of anything that has not passed through our sensesThe body and mind cannot be separatedQuestions his perception of objects through his senses as there is no positive conclusion that they could not have come from any external force

What he sees and perceives through his senses is not exactly what it may beSlide68

Section 78

Asserts that understanding is not needed to know something exists so he does not need to doubt everythingHe can exist without his body because it is with his mind that he knows he existsImagination cannot exist without a body, but he can exist without itSlide69

Section 79

Since imagination and senses need a body and he did not place them within himself, God or some being must have created themIt must be God because these ideas are so embedded within himSlide70

Section 80

Understanding comes through pure mathematicsHe does not understand how others could think God is not a deceiverHe states that God is not a deceiver and so, he has hope of finding the truthSlide71

Section 81

Nature is teaching him, yet God is the one who allows him to understandHis body is imperfect because nature has told him so (by letting him feel pain)The body is affected by objects in his surroundings; his mind is notSlide72

Section 82-83

Nature does not teach us but rather we form judgments based on our sensesNature refers to more senses because we sense the effects of somethingFor example, fire – we can sense heat and pain, but this reliance on our senses doesn’t allow us to understand the composition of fire

Ergo, senses given by nature to determine is something is useful or harmful but without the mind, one cannot truly understand the purpose or reason for the existence of somethingSlide73

Section 84

He speaks about deception. He makes an example with food that looks good but is poisonousWe are easily deceived because of lack of insightTherefore, we cannot be GodSlide74

Section 85

Compares a poorly made clock to a sick manGod is the clockmaker that makes us in what he sees fitHe compares the physical nature to the mind and how the physical affects the mindSlide75

Section 86

The mind is separate from the body. If the body is lost (i.e. amputated foot), the mind will still be intact and able to functionThe mind is only affected by the brain and more specifically the common sense area of the brainUnlike the body that has multiple parts and is divisible, the mind is one indivisible entitySlide76

Section 87

All parts of the body are connected to the brain, which affects the mindA part of the body cannot be affected by a part that is distant from it in a different way than it would be if it was affected by any of the parts that lie between themFor example, take a string with parts A, B, C and D. If D is pulled, A will move in the same way it would if B or C was pulled and D remained

immobleSlide77

Section 88

The brain produces sensations that it is able to produce; these affect the mind in a manner that maintains a healthy manSensations are received from experience and are bestowed on us by nature, or it was God’s intention, allowing us to maintain the human bodyNature of man is composed of mind and body (Duality)Slide78

Section 89

If a sensation exists in the part of the body, then it should be confined to that area and not elsewhereAll of these senses can be used in combination to examine the same thing to detect falsehood, just like the memory and intellect combine to examine error

He now believes our senses, in combination, cannot be falseRejects previous notions and states that there is a difference between being asleep and awakeSlide79

Section 90

The combination of senses, perception, memory and intellect cannot conflict with one anotherGod is no deceiver, so he cannot be mistaken in these mattersBut we must recognize the nature of man, and we will make mistakesSlide80

Meditation Six Focus Questions

What, ultimately, is Descartes’ final conclusion? With what assumptions does he make to arrive at this conclusion? Create an argument to support one of his Meditation Six premises. Also provide a possible objection to your argument.Create a counter argument to one of his assertions and provide a possible counter argument Descartes could propose.Slide81