1 / 19

Descartes’ “Meditations”

Descartes’ “Meditations”. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) French Philosopher & Mathematician. Descartes. Circle. Cartesian coordinate system. x 2 + y 2 = 9. “Reduce” geometry to algebra. Meditations on First Philosophy 1641. Impressed by method of science & math.

colette
Télécharger la présentation

Descartes’ “Meditations”

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Descartes’ “Meditations” Rene Descartes (1596-1650) French Philosopher & Mathematician

  2. Descartes Circle Cartesian coordinate system x2 + y2 = 9 “Reduce” geometry to algebra.

  3. Meditations on First Philosophy1641 • Impressed by method of science & math. • Disgusted by philosophy. • Seek a solid foundation for beliefs: • Philosophy needs a method. • What can I know with absolutecertainty?

  4. Meditations • Personal endeavor: search for certainty • Like personal search for God St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) “Spiritual Exercises” (1551)

  5. Meditations • Envisioned the whole process while sitting by a fire in November, 1619.

  6. Meditations • “The general demolition of my opinions.” • Radical doubt: withhold assent from any of his beliefs that can be doubted. • Architectural metaphor.

  7. Four Methods of Doubt • My senses can mislead me.

  8. Four Methods of Doubt • My senses can mislead me. • I might be crazy.

  9. Shakespeare, MacBeth V, v: “Life…is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

  10. Four Methods of Doubt • My senses can mislead me. • I might be crazy. • I might be dreaming.

  11. Surrealism

  12. Four Methods of Doubt • My senses can mislead me. • I might be crazy. • I might be dreaming. • An evil genius might be fooling me.

  13. “The Matrix”

  14. Demolishing my Beliefs

  15. Is anything left standing?

  16. Reading for next class: • Descartes’ Second Meditation

More Related