...skeptical arguments. The Method of Doubt states that all beliefs, which are not absolutely certain, should be treated...
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...Descartes introduced his evil genius doubt in his first meditations. His hypothesis consists of the belief that a supreme being, labeled the “evil genius” or “evil demon” could be maliciously controlling and creating in our minds an illusion of the world as we know it. A complete fabrication that would negate the simplest truths as well as our sense data. His initial goal is to find a way to question the unquestionable; what we view as absolute truths like a simple addition or substraction, what seems to be true and tested could be false because of this powerful and cunning genius. Descartes uses his evil demon argument on his quest to find truths that are unshakably true; that is, that have absolutely no doubt to them. His conclusion is that the only statement that can be unshakably and undeniably true is “I am, I exist”. Which is to say that if we are capable of having thoughts about our existence then we must exist in some way. Even if an evil genius is maliciously pumping information and illusions about the physical world that we live in, if I can think about my existence then I must exist in some way, wether it be in this world or in the evil genius’s world. I believe that Descartes’s evil genius argument is successful at its goal is to isolate what is absolutely and undoubtedly true. Descartes felt that during his lifetime many things he thought to be true turned out false over the years. Therefore he felt that he needed to use every...
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...Karthik Keni Phil 21 Greg Antill Part A: 1. The Evil Demon Argument In Descartes’ First Meditation, he completely shatters the foundations of his previous beliefs and then uses the evil demon argument as a platform in which he can explain the source of his beliefs. Descartes proposes the evil demon argument because he wants to instill doubt not only in himself, but also in his audience that God may not be the only “Supreme Being”. He believes God to be a good being that wouldn’t deceive us and lead our thoughts astray. The evil demon argument has the purpose of casting doubt on his belief that God is the only being who has the capability of implementing thoughts into his mind, creating doubt of the existence of an external world, and aiding his pursuit of a strong and certain foundation for all his knowledge and beliefs. In this argument, Descartes doesn’t refute the reality of a God, however I believe he presents the argument as if they both exist and that if he is being deceived it could not be from God, the good being, but the evil genius providing him with false sensory material. The primary claim of this skeptical argument is to doubt the reality of an external world that has the possibility of being created by an evil demon. Deceit could be defined in such a way that our minds are being controlled by an evil demon and that our senses of an external world are mistaken. Depicting the evil demon argument of Descartes in a science fiction way like “The Matrix,” made me...
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...Descartes Exam Questions & Notes (PHIL 1F90) Give a detailed account of Descartes’ systematic doubt or methodic doubt in Meditation I making certain to distinguish between real doubts and hypothetical or metaphysical doubts. Then explain how Descartes dispels each of these doubts during the course of the subsequent Meditations beginning with the cogito in Meditation 2. A methodic or systematic doubt refers to the common sense or naïve realism. So common sense or naïve realism is the belief that all knowledge comes from or through the senses. Naïve realism are things that are exactly as they appear to be and they appear to be exactly the way they are; a teacup for example. It’s possible to doubt naïve realism in that senses are not always truthful. The difference between real and hypothetical or metaphysical doubt is that Real Doubt are doubts we actually have such as those that really do happen; for example, things that happen sometimes, occasionally, or once in a while. Metaphysical Doubt on the other hand are doubts that could happen. It’s like a logical extension of real doubt, logical possibilities for example “let us assume, what if, I will therefore suppose that.” Sometimes is also considered a real doubt for example “Sometimes my senses do deceive me.” It’s important to note that external conditions are not ideal. Descartes discusses the lunatic hypothesis and the dream hypothesis. He says that in a lunatic hypothesis internal conditions are not ideal since a lunatic...
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...last, and so on. He mentioned that if you see a square in our dreams, it will always have four sides because it is the fact and the truth. I definitely agree with his argument. The evil genius argument in the first meditations on philosophy is a skeptical argument. Descartes argued that God is so powerful that he can deceive him about everything. However God is the source of truth, powerful and clever he could not be a deceiver. The evil genius argument is saying that there is something as powerful and smart as God Descartes but not so good, therefore this being can deceive him about everything. The fact that there is an evil being that could deceive us cause us to doubt. Based on the above arguments, I agree that Descartes have created complete doubt. I like the argument where he explained in believing in a lot of false opinions when he was young. I myself believed in false opinions, as I was growing up I discovered they weren’t true at all. I believe we all have experienced that in life. I can relate to the dream example he gave in his dream argument. Sometimes I have a dream about a past event in my life, or I have a dream that later became true. I like the evil genius argument, I like how he said God is powerful and good therefore could not be a deceiver however, there is something as powerful as God but evil that could deceive him. I see it as how there is right and wrong in life. I have been in situations where I hear a voice telling me to one thing and I hear another voice...
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...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 correctly. It can also be argued that the arguments are not clearly stated and can contain various flaws such as Descartes does not specify if the body may truly be in life form or that the Cogito only works for thought not necessarily the body. All in all, his theories also contain logical evidence to back up his claims in his arguments. Descartes wonders, is he or is he not the accurate...
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...Even water or gas can be reduced to particles, and then you find they are extended things. So each occupies a unique portion of space. One of his argument for dualism is the argument for the soul. This argument states that you can doubt your your body, because of the dream argument, but you cannot doubt your mind. He had 2 arguments for skepticism: the dream argument, which involves sensory beliefs, and the evil genius argument, which are reasons based beliefs, specifically claiming that a God is powerful enough to deceive you. Descartes recalls that sometimes he has had perceptual experiences while dreaming that are exactly like those he has had while awake. Reflecting on this, Descartes concludes that “there are never any sure signs by means of which being awake can be distinguished from being asleep.” This leads him to doubt almost everything that he believes on the basis of sense perception, including his belief that he now has hands. The dream argument tells us that sensory are not trustworthy bc what makes you think rn that you are sititng at a classroom? Well, music, etc. But if you are dreaming and feeling these sensation but not actually in a room that shows you that sensory experiences are not reliable. The second argument is the evil genius arguement a God powerful enough to deceive us, which is very similar to the dream argument. What tells us that 2+2=4. That aha...
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...the balloon pops and disintegrates it too will not exist. This balloon has contingent existence and it is not necessary. The proof that God exists must be a necessity and should be stronger than evidence that ‘God’ does exist. Something had to create the universe because it did not always exist, therefore God must exist. Many people dispute, thus saying that there is not actual proof that God does exist but that is where faith comes in the picture. Which argument for the existence of God is strongest and why? There are a few strong arguments for the existence of God. First there is the ontological argument which states that it is quite likely that a flawless being does exist. In theory a being such as that couldn’t be perfect unless it in essence did in fact exist. Therefore a perfect being must exist, which is one argument about how God must exist. The opposition could object and say that since no one could describe or envision a perfect being into existing then God must not exist. Another argument that could be made for God’s existence is the...
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...In claiming that argument 1 is a proof as part of a premise, Moore defends this by way of his Central argument. Moore’s central argument consists of three parts, two premises and a conclusion. In his first premise, [P1], he states that argument 1 is a proof that there are material objects external to our minds and because of this, one who gives that argument in the way we just did is justified in believing its conclusion. His second premise, [P2], is that one cannot prove that he is not being deceived by an evil genius in the manner that the skeptic demands. These two premises lead to his conclusion, [C], that the skeptic’s second premise is false. Which states, from the skeptics argument, we are justified in believing that there are material objects external to our minds only if we can prove that we are not being deceived by an evil genius and we can do so in a manner that does not presuppose any claim that we are only justified in believing on the basis of our perceptual experience. Moore’s response to the skeptic, in which the skeptic states that argument 1 does not constitute a proof, is backed by Moore’s standards of proof. The standards of a proof of an argument are (1), its conclusion is different from each of its premises, (2), its conclusion follows its premises, and (3), each of its premises are known to be true. Moore’s argument 1 satisfies the first standard of a proof. Since we know that [P1] and [P2] are true, and [P3] follows from the other premises, then...
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...Ghadere Salah PHI-101-013 Rationalism VS Empiricism They say : Hume says knowledge comes from the way one’s mind perceived the physical world. 1.Hume claimed that people perceive the world in two ways – through impressions which are one’s senses and through ideas which are one’s thoughts. 2.Hume claimed that there was no such thing as an innate idea, which is an idea present in the human mind that was not created through some sort of experience. 3.Hume asserted that nothing remains the same, but that one’s mind perceives what is similar as being the same if change occurs gradually rather than abruptly. We say/I say: Descartes says knowledge lies in the mind not the senses. 1.Descartes claims that the way we perceive things comes from thinking. 2.Descartes claimed that we often sense things that don’t physically exist in the external world. 3.Descartes claimed if any component of something was in the very least questionable, then any conclusion drawn from it would be at the most questionable. 4.Descartes reasoned that our senses often misinterpret the physical world. 5.Descartes claimed while it’s possible to not sense things, it’s impossible not to think. Conclusion: Descartes wrote, “I find here that thought is an attribute that belongs to me; it alone cannot be separated from me”. While it’s possible to not sense things, it’s impossible not to think. Descartes claims that he is just “a thing which thinks”. His proof is that he can question his own existence...
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...their views on good and evil, and there is still debate today about what Blake’s true feelings were and how they were conveyed through the poem. This paper will simply explain the nature of the poem and the events that come together within it. The beginning of Marriage sets up an image of a man walking through a “perilous path” that is described as “The vale of death” (Blake 1.4-5). Rintrah, a personification of wrath, watches the man be swayed from his path by the “sneaking serpent,” which can easily be interpreted as the Devil (Blake 1.17). The man is driven into the wild to fend for himself, where he will struggle and be tempted by the good and evil sides of himself and of the world. The next plate that Blake writes is not in a poetic form, but instead calls forth a challenge to the Swedenborgian view of religion. He humorously writes that “it is now thirty-three years since its advent: the Eternal Hell revives. And lo! Swedenborg is the Angel sitting at the tomb: his writings are the linen clothes folded up” (Blake 3). Blake’s jokes about Swedenborg’s relationship to Jesus Christ and his changes to the Christian church lead into his next point, which is how contradictory he believes these religious teachings to be in the first place. Blake claims that “Without contraries is no progression” (3). He claims that everything has an opposite, and without those, no man can move forward. This is where the religious get their concepts of Good and Evil, which they easily equate...
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...our lives have already become” (Objectives for HKDSE, n.d., p. 969). Literature has been proven to sway how and what we think. It addition, some science fiction authors or popular works have increased the creative genius of some leading to advances in technology. The story of Luke Skywalker is no exception to the rule of literary influence. The instant success of the Star Wars franchise debuted in 1977 with the release of the first movie in the six movie series, numerous cartoons, comic books, and a cult following that will not go away for the foreseeable future. The story begins as a poor young farmer searches for a lost droid and ultimately evolves into the greatest well-known galactic battle of the 20th century. Lauded as the last Jedi warrior, Luke Skywalker, enlists the help of humans, droids, and aliens to wage a battle of good against evil. The evil, also known as the dark side, proves to be a formidable adversary that ultimately meets its demise at the hands of Luke and the rebel band of Jedi. The first three movies garnered Lucas Film LTD such success that an additional three prequels were made to incorporate the original novels. In total, as of 2009, all six movies have grossed over 4.2 billion dollars worldwide (Vaux, n.d.). Several arguments have been made about the true writer of the Star Wars...
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...in the history of Biological Science was not met with photographers, expensive wines and champagnes. Dolly was born quietly away from the media attention on the 5th of July 1996. Not even the head of the cloning program was there Ian Wilmut (Gardner, 2003) The clone sheep was a huge advancement to modern science, numerous experts noticed the benefits that could arise for humanity. With this finding, the prospect of human cloning was begging to be hypothesized. Several governments were excited to outlaw cloning. An anti-cloning agreement was signed between many European countries, and the then president of the United States Bill Clinton had forced a suspension on the program. Both sides are presenting two different sort of ethical arguments. On one side antagonists of human cloning see cloning as a violation of essential and basic ethical and human rights. Where on the other side, supporters of cloning say that banning cloning would violate the same rights. Yet they equally mention the probable ills and benefits of such a practice, to individuals and the world. Even as ethical and even human rights do not have to be obsolete, some people ask others to respect their opinions and religious believes when it comes to cloning. Taking no consideration about the expenses of doing such a thing, will place ethical limitations on acceptable events that plea to a simple balance of benefits over ills. For instance, the rights of human beings becoming an issue in exploration of cloning...
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...Grayson Silverman 2-16-15 English II-Pre Ap Lee Bergen In The Prison Break genius and revolutionary Grayson Silverman discusses the positive economic, political and social impacts of the continued legalization of private Prisons. Grayson Silverman helps to inform those currently unaware on the issue while also providing deep factual information. He supports his research with hard boiled facts and study's. Ensuring that this report is both factual and interesting. The Prison Break It is quite easy to look at private prisons and see them as evil corporation which uses the captivity of people to generate a profit. There are many benefits that are commonly over looked by the media because they wouldn't generate nearly as many ratings if they...
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...against the subject help politicians win elections, send researchers to plead for funding in the hope of curing today’s most horrendous diseases and fuel anger at protest rallies. Both sides vie for public attention to sway the undecided in an attempt to be a controlling majority. With groups arguing to prevent genetic research, common discussion points raise fears that genetic manipulation will lead to a reduction of genetic diversity and perhaps derange the natural course of the life process. They present that although these activities are wrapped in the guise of altruistic science they are actually blasphemous attempts by man to place himself at the level of God. In the book Double Helix , Nancy Parker personifies the fear and potential evil of genetic engineering with the character Anthony Beecher. Double Helix uses Beecher as the literary representation of the fears of genetic engineering; structuring his persona as a successful scientist searching for cures while hiding his greed and prejudice. Scientist world wide hail the possibilities of genetic research revealing solutions to many severe diseases and injuries. Even opponents of genetic engineering admit that the promise of curing disease and extending life is a noble cause (Hoedemaekers 1). They believe this a temptation that hides the perils true of tampering with genetic code. Parker frames the temptations and fears related to this subject in Beecher’s character. Double Helix opens with Anthony Beecher praising his...
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