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Knowledge

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Submitted By AngelinaMD
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Angelina McDay
Philosophy 1010
On The Fence There are many different theories out there on the topic of knowledge and what it is. These theories fall under two different categories; rationalism and empiricism. When asked which theory I feel answers the question of what knowledge is, I find that I cannot commit to just one. Rather I feel that a combination of Descartes and Locke’s theory of knowledge fits with my own beliefs. Since I cannot commit to strictly one theory I am on the fence about it, but for good reason. Parts of Descartes’s and Locke’s theories fit but not either of them completely. That being said my beliefs seem to fit in with dualism more completely than anything else. Dualism is the theory that the mind and body are separate entities (Palmer 442), which leans more towards the rationalism of Descartes. I believe in this idea that the mind and body are indeed two separate entities because there is so much that is unknown about consciousness in general. I feel that there is something much more to our minds and what it is truly capable of than we will ever know. I also think that the difference or the connection between mind and body is main problem with consciousness and because of this, the question of knowledge and what it means to know anything with certainty is so heavily debated. This is why I cannot fully commit to one theory of knowledge completely; bits of each theory, specifically Descartes and Locke’s theories, make sense when combined then either in particular. Descartes’s theory of knowledge goes something like this; doubt everything and only accept as certain knowledge those things that cannot be doubted. This technique is also known as methodological doubt (Palmer 56). The piece of Descartes’s theory that fits with my own thoughts and beliefs is his questioning and theory on dreaming. Personally I have strong beliefs about

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