...René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and writer of the 17th century. He was dissatisfied with the philosophy of his time which was dominated by scholastic philosophy, which sought to answer highly abstract philosophical questions mainly on the basis of Aristotle’s teachings. Descartes was dissatisfied with this kind of philosophy because he considered their highly abstract arguments senseless. Because of this dissatisfaction, Descartes tried to create a whole new system of thought that would unify all knowledge. As a result, René Descartes has been dubbed the “Father of Modern Philosophy”. René Descartes is the man credited to the famous dictum, Cogito Ergo Sum which translates to “I think, therefore I am”. Can one really prove that something, anything exists by this? I would like to believe that the cogito phrase holds an absolute truth. Come to think of this, if you’re even having these profound thoughts of questioning whether anything exists or not, if you even really care about purpose, the meaning, existence, why you are here or if you are real, can’t you then establish that you exist? Just by the mere fact that you are doing the process of examining yourself, you inside know that you are a complex creature, you truly do exists. If you’re looking at questions of self purpose and meaning and the existence of God, none of it would make sense but for the fact that you exists. Only you and you alone can prove that you exist, and that proof is...
Words: 403 - Pages: 2
...Fate, Mistakes or Something Else? Is there such a thing as a mistake? We all talk about how everything happens for a reason. I believe in the idea of timing. I realize that our experiences shape us. They make us who we are, and we would not be who we are without them. In life, we learn to accept the decisions we make, and we call them decisions rather than mistakes because they are all part of the master plan that develop us into who we will eventually be when we die? I do not know. When do we become who we are? Are we always becoming and never being? Or is that the secret? Do we spend all our time trying to become and never pay attention to the fact that we actually are all along the way? If everything is an important and significant experience in our constant formation, then nothing could be a mistake; it is always just an experience. I am a skeptic of this belief. I think there is such a thing as wasted time. And if time were wasting, then every second of that time would be a mistake in the making. Though I have been positive and happy with every experience I have had, I know there are people in the world whose lives are nearing an end, and they live with regret. It is something I hope never to know. I pray that I will do everything I can to be aware of myself, my life, my feelings – to be as honest as I can be so that I never have to look back on this life and think, “I wasted so much time. I wish I had done this. I wish I had done that." I have always wished I had...
Words: 675 - Pages: 3
...“I think; Therefore, I am” “Cogito Ergo Sum” Rene Descartes Why is Education Important to me? When I think of education, I reminisce on all of my failed attempts to obtain the goals until now Unreachable. Not long ago I thought could never get an Associate’s Degree or even smart enough for school and gave up. However, I took a long look at my life and decided to motivate myself to achieve what was unobtainable. Now that Iam in my forties, it is beginning to make a whole lot of sense realizing; determined to diligently strive to work harder; education is something very relevant in my life at this time. Education gave me a head-start on life as it paved the way for my success in getting a new start. Well, my’ first home in fact... After being told that I wouldn't have a bright future, inspired me to complete anything I could accelerate it. The advantages of education to me are vast and it’s amazing something I took for granted as a child. However, it’s a shame that today is free and we still don’t take the opportunities to use it or learn. I recently took a free class about nutrition an online course; just to test my knowledge and get an understanding of the class as a whole. Some of the courses are extremely hard to understand, but I took a chance to challenge my ability. The good side of all this was it was free if I failed the course, I would not have to repeat unless necessary! Moreover, worry about that grade...
Words: 982 - Pages: 4
...Descartes’ Mind Body Dualism Rene Descartes’ main purpose is to attempt to prove that the mind that is the soul or the thinking thing is distinct and is separate from the body. This thinking thing was the core of himself, which doubts, believes, reasons, feels and thinks. Descartes considers the body to be an extended unthinking thing; therefore it is possible that one may exist without the other. This view is known as mind-body dualism. He believes that what he is thinking in his mind is what God created and instilled in him. Descartes outlines many arguments to support and prove his claims of his discoveries. He states that because he can think, his mind exists. This is known as the Cogito, which is the first existential principal of all of Descartes’ work where modern philosophy begins. Descartes also explains that it is possible that all knowledge of external objects, including his body could be false because of the deceiving actions of an evil genius. The evil genius could make him contemplate his existence of his nature as a thinking thing. Descartes further explains in his arguments, even physical objects, such as the body, are better and more distinctly known through the mind than through the body. Descartes shows this through his example of The Wax Argument, where solid wax transitions into liquid state. With all of this in mind, Descartes theories suggest the mind and body can exist separately but it can be argued, the mind needs the body in order to think and reason...
Words: 1480 - Pages: 6
...24 April 2010 Philosophy 1010 Assignment 3 Descartes theory of doubt rest on the Latin phrase Cogito Ergo Sum. Translated into English the phrase means “I think, therefore I am”. This theory hinges on what is real and what is false; and mimics the branch of philosophy called Metaphysics. Metaphysics questions the reality of environment as does the method of doubt. Descartes skepticism (method of doubt) is termed methodological, because it presents a process which is used to deduce information to arrive at appropriate conclusions which determines or distinguishes reality from fantasy or a state of confusion. Descartes believed that some outcomes were very clear. He provided an analogy utilizing numbers. With numbers there is a pure outcome once the formula is applied or understood correctly. However, with environment or physical movement it becomes difficult to predict the end result. Therefore, to gain a better understanding of reality, Descartes formulates the theory of doubt and creates a check list of three requirements which must be indubitable fulfilled when applied to the method of doubt. The three requirements are 1) impossibility to doubt – meaning something is absolute 2) independent certainty – a theory which cannot be supported by another and 3) an item which exists so that data can be deduced to confirm existence. “Thinking includes doubting, understanding, denying, willing, refusing, and feeling” all key components in analytic phases of questioning surroundings...
Words: 540 - Pages: 3
...CMU I Think, Therefore I am Cogito Ergo Sum Cole Johnson The Task of Philosophy: The Question of Knowledge Chris Huebner February 25th/2016 ‘Cogito ergo sum’, or its translation, “I think, therefore I am,” is a frequently quoted line from well-known philosopher named Rene Descartes. Descartes was born in 1596 in France and died later in Sweden in 1650. Descartes was known as the father of modern philosophy and he gave many notable contributions to modern philosophy that we still use today. “I think, therefore I am”, might seem like a very simple quote but if you take a deeper look into it, it has a lot more meaning than you think. To begin to understand this quote, you must first have a firm grasp of the term skepticism. This is the idea that all ideas and beliefs can be doubted. Having a method of doubt or skepticism is something that a lot of people have trouble wrapping their minds around. For example, I have a body and I have a pair of hands, so why would I doubt these things? Descartes finds skepticism very puzzling and it intrigues him to find out why someone would think this way. In an effort to understand why some people thought like this, Descartes tries to break everything down into its bare bones. He thinks that you cannot build a body of knowledge unless you have firm foundation first. This makes sense because if you’re trying to build theory’s and ideas of things without knowing where these ideas came from, or even if those ideas...
Words: 1097 - Pages: 5
...The Second Meditation is subtitled "The nature of the human mind, and how it is better known than the body" and takes place the day after the First Meditation. The Meditator is firm in his resolve to continue his search for certainty and to discard as false anything that is open to the slightest doubt. He recalls Archimedes' famous saying that he could shift the entire earth given one immovable point: similarly, he hopes to achieve great things if he can be certain of just one thing. Recalling the previous meditation, he supposes that what he sees does not exist, that his memory is faulty, that he has no senses and no body, that extension, movement and place are mistaken notions. Perhaps, he remarks, the only certain thing remaining is that there is no certainty. Then, he wonders, is not he, the source of these meditations, not something? He has conceded that he has no senses and no body, but does that mean he cannot exist either? He has also noted that the physical world does not exist, which might also seem to imply his nonexistence. And yet to have these doubts, he must exist. For an evil demon to mislead him in all these insidious ways, he must exist in order to be misled. There must be an "I" that can doubt, be deceived, and so on. He formulates the famous cogito argument, saying: "So after considering everything very thoroughly, I must finally conclude that this proposition, I am, I exist, is necessarily true whenever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind...
Words: 401 - Pages: 2
...Correlation does not imply causation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Correlation does not imply causation" is a phrase used in science and statistics to emphasize that correlation between two variables does not automatically imply that one causes the other (though correlation is necessary for linear causation, and can indicate possible causes or areas for further investigation... in other words, correlation can be a hint).[1][2] The opposite belief, correlation proves causation, is a logical fallacy by which two events that occur together are claimed to have a cause-and-effect relationship. The fallacy is also known as cum hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin for "with this, therefore because of this") and false cause. By contrast, the fallacy post hoc ergo propter hoc requires that one event occur before the other and so may be considered a type of cum hoc fallacy. In a widely-studied example, numerous epidemiological studies showed that women who were taking combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) also had a lower-than-average incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), leading doctors to propose that HRT was protective against CHD. But randomized controlled trials showed that HRT caused a small but statistically significant increase in risk of CHD. Re-analysis of the data from the epidemiological studies showed that women undertaking HRT were more likely to be from higher socio-economic groups (ABC1), with better than average diet and exercise regimes. The use of HRT...
Words: 676 - Pages: 3
...the end, the cost will be astronomical. Answer Selected Answer: Slippery slope Correct Answer: Slippery slope Question 5 5 out of 5 points Correct The Book of Mormon is true because it was written by Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith wrote the truth because he was divinely inspired. We know that Joseph Smith was divinely inspired because the Book of Mormon says that he was, and the Book of Mormon is true. Answer Selected Answer: Circular reasoning Correct Answer: Circular reasoning Question 6 5 out of 5 points Correct Terrorists from the Middle East have crossed our borders and traveled through the country at will. Obviously the Immigration Service has not been doing its job. Answer Selected Answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc...
Words: 1010 - Pages: 5
...out of 5 points | | | Televangelist Jerry Falwell said that God's anger with feminism led to the destruction of the World Trade Center. Given Falwell's closeness to God, we have no alternative than to blame the feminists for this atrocity.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | Authority | | | | | * Question 5 5 out of 5 points | | | Either we have prayer in our public schools or the moral fabric of society will disintegrate. The choice should be obvious.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | Either/Or Fallacy | | | | | * Question 6 5 out of 5 points | | | People are driving their cars like maniacs tonight. There must be a full moon.Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: | Post hoc ergo propter hoc | | | | | * Question 7 5 out of 5 points | | | A woman's place is in the home. That's the way it's always...
Words: 878 - Pages: 4
...from CQ Researcher titled “Gambling in America” by Kenneth Jost. The second is an article from The Honolulu Star-Advertiser “On Politics” column, by Richard Borreca. The third resource I used to gather my information from is Gambling, from the Opposing Viewpoints series and lastly, I conducted an interview with a long time, self-proclaimed professional gambler, who wanted to keep their identity anonymous and asked only to be referred to as “Rush”. After exploring both sides of the topic I’ve come to the conclusion that the pro-gambling side wins. The evidence given by the supporters seems much more concrete and numbers based while the opponents seem to appeal to the public’s pathos using fallacies such as hasty generalizations and post hoc ergo propter hoc. There are many different forms of legalized gambling today, ranging from state lotteries, to commercial casinos, and Internet gambling. I’m going to focus on the two that seem to be most applicable to the state of Hawaii, which are commercial casinos and a state run...
Words: 273 - Pages: 2
...P LA T O and a P LAT Y P U S WA L K I N TO A B A R . . . Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes < T H O M A S C AT H C A RT & D A N I E L K L E I N * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * P l at o a n d a P l at y p u s Wa l k i n t o a B a r . . . PLATO and a PLAT Y PUS WA L K I N T O A B A R . . . < Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes Th o m as Cat h c a rt & Dan i e l K l e i n A B R A M S I M AG E , N E W YO R K e d i to r : Ann Treistman d e s i g n e r : Brady McNamara pro d u c t i on m anag e r : Jacquie Poirier Cataloging-in-publication data has been applied for and may be obtained from the Library of Congress. ISBN 13: 978-0-8109-1493-3 ISBN 10: 0-8109-1493-x Text copyright © 2007 Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein Illlustration credits: ©The New Yorker Collection 2000/Bruce Eric Kaplan/ cartoonbank.com: pg 18; ©Andy McKay/www.CartoonStock.com: pg 32; ©Mike Baldwin/www.CartoonStock.com: pgs 89, 103; ©The New Yorker Collection 2000/ Matthew Diffee/cartoonbank.com: pg 122; ©The New Yorker Collection 2000/ Leo Cullum/cartoonbank.com: pg 136; ©Merrily Harpur/Punch ltd: 159; ©Andy McKay/www.CartoonStock.com: pg 174. Published in...
Words: 41407 - Pages: 166
...Correlation does not imply causation Almost daily we are in (mainly) news media whose owner has a structure similar to some of the following: One study claims that the more A, the more B A study says that those who are to have less B. A study says that since A is, then B is the other way. In principle, all these headlines indicate that basically what it says A is causing B to happen, or what is the same, that B is a consequence of A. Normally, when one reads the news, just realizing that so there is a correlation between A and B (come on, a relationship between these two events ), but in principle, without any indication that either one of them, even in this case, we cause the other B. (Oakes, 2012) The study of the correlation between two variables is one of the issues in question in Statistics. To summarize a bit, the question would be something like the following: - From certain data from each of these variables one estimates if there is any relationship between them. The one most frequently studied is called linear regression (by which we seek if there is no linear relationship between the variables), but there are many more possible types: quadratic, exponential, logarithmic... - With these data a function (which, for example, is a straight linear regression) that determines us exactly what the relationship between these variables is calculated. - The actual correlation between them is studied (ie, how strong is the relationship that we calculated based on the...
Words: 1350 - Pages: 6
...“This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance. A lifetime is like a flash of lightning in the sky, rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain.” --Buddha IMPERMANENCE The Buddha saw life as a running stream. A trickle running inexorably downhill whose path is comprised of a series of unpredictable twists and turns which join together to create an illusion of steady flow when in reality every pebble causes a ripple. Ultimately the stream will constantly change and alter its course. The stream we see today is most assuredly different then it appeared yesterday and far different than it may appear tomorrow. Such is life; moving from cause to effect, from one state to another constantly changing and evolving from one moment to the next – impermanent. Buddhism teaches that there are three main truths which must be mastered in order to exist in this world; Impermanence (anicca), Suffering (dukkha), and Insubstantiality (anattaa). It is said that our existence can only be understood if these three basic facts are comprehended not only logically, but in confrontation with one’s own experience (Thera 2006). How might one’s individual experiences allow us to understand the Way of Buddhism? As part of his journey to becoming a Buddhist monk, Kamo-no-Chomei, believed minimization through impermanence was the correct path to finding the Way. His rationale being; to live...
Words: 1243 - Pages: 5
...Types of Fallacies 1. Appeal to Ignorance Appeal to ignorance happens when one individual utilizes another individual’s lack of information on a specific subject as proof that his or her own particular argument is right. She didn't say that I couldn't borrow her car, so I figured it was just fine if I borrowed it for the weekend. 2. Appeal to Authority This sort of error is also known as “Argumentum Verecundia” (argument from modesty). Instead of concentrating on the benefits of an argument, the arguer will attempt to append their argument to an individual of power or authority in an effort to give trustworthiness to their argument. No philosopher has ever successfully resolved the problem of evil. 3. Appeal to Popular Opinion This sort of appeal is when somebody asserts that a thought or conviction is correct since it is the thing that the general population accept. Mormonism is one of the fastest growing sects of Christianity today so that whole story about Joseph Smith getting the golden plates that, unfortunately, disappeared back into heaven, must be true! 4. Association Fallacy Sometimes called “guilt by affiliation,” this happens when somebody connects a particular thought or drill to something or somebody negative so as to infer blame on another individual. Having a lot of friends who speak out in a prejudiced way and not distancing yourself from their statements...
Words: 592 - Pages: 3
