Hey everyone!
If anyone of you know the answer to the below please let me know!!
1) How do dreams figure into Descartes conclusions in the first meditation about our beliefs?
2) Why does Descartes think that clear and distinct perception much be infallible?
3)Why does Descartes in the 3rd meditation, decide he needs to know whether God is a deciever?
4) what three criteria does Moore use to defend the claim that his "proof" really is a proof?
5) how does moore dismiss skeptical worries about his knowledge of the external world?
6) what is descartes arguement that self is essentially a thinking thing and distinct from body?
7) what is smarts arguement for his primary position?
8) what does Jackson mean by physicalism?
We do not do homework.
what are your answers?
1) To understand how dreams figure into Descartes' conclusions in the first meditation about our beliefs, we need to look at Descartes' method of doubt. In his meditations, Descartes employs radical doubt to question everything he believes, including sensory beliefs. Dreams, for Descartes, are one way to illustrate the unreliability of our senses. When we dream, we often experience things that seem just as real as our waking experiences, but upon waking, we realize they were only illusions. This realization leads Descartes to doubt the trustworthiness of his senses and raises the question of whether any of our beliefs based on sensory experiences are reliable.
2) Descartes believes that clear and distinct perception must be infallible because he considers it as a criterion for truth. According to Descartes, clear and distinct ideas are those that are vividly and distinctly perceived by the mind, leaving no room for doubt or error. He argues that if something is clearly and distinctly perceived, it must be true because God is not a deceiver, and therefore, He would not allow us to have clear and distinct perceptions that are false. Descartes views clear and distinct perceptions as reliable foundations for knowledge because they are not subject to the doubts raised by the possibility of deception or error.
3) In the third meditation, Descartes decides that he needs to know whether God is a deceiver because he seeks to establish a secure foundation for his beliefs. Descartes aims to rebuild his system of knowledge from the ground up, starting with indubitable foundations. He believes that if God is a deceiver, then all his beliefs, even those obtained through clear and distinct perceptions, could be called into doubt. By demonstrating that God is not a deceiver, Descartes can establish a secure foundation for his knowledge and eliminate doubts that may arise from the possibility of deception.
4) Moore uses three criteria to defend the claim that his "proof" really is a proof. These criteria are:
a) Common sense: Moore argues that his proof aligns with common sense and corresponds to our ordinary understanding of the world. He asserts that most people would readily accept his proof as genuine knowledge.
b) Intuition: Moore appeals to intuition, arguing that his proof is based on self-evident truths that are immediately and clearly grasped by reason. He believes that the premises of his proof are so evident that they do not require further justification.
c) Certainty: Moore contends that his proof is inherently certain and resistant to doubt. He argues that the propositions in his proof are so evident that one cannot rationally doubt or deny them without falling into skepticism.
5) Moore dismisses skeptical worries about his knowledge of the external world by asserting the certainty of his proof. He argues that his proof provides us with direct knowledge of the external world and refutes skepticism by establishing the existence of external objects. According to Moore, our common sense and intuitive knowledge are sufficient to defeat skeptical doubts. He believes that skepticism arises from mistaken philosophical arguments and does not reflect the actual state of our knowledge.
6) Descartes argues that the self is essentially a thinking thing and distinct from the body through his famous "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am) argument. He starts by doubting everything and realizing that he cannot doubt the fact that he is doubting. From this, Descartes concludes that even in the act of doubting, there must be a thinking thing - the "I" or the self. This thinking thing, according to Descartes, is inseparable from his own existence and does not rely on the existence of a particular body. Descartes goes on to establish that the self is, in fact, distinct from the body by highlighting the possibility of existing without a body, such as in dreams or in his famous "evil demon" hypothetical scenarios.
7) It is unclear who "Smart" refers to in this context, so I cannot provide an explanation for the specific argument you are referring to. Please provide more information or clarify the context so I can help you with the argument made by "Smart."
8) Jackson, not Smart, is known for discussing "physicalism." Physicalism is the philosophical position that everything in the world is ultimately physical. It holds that all phenomena can be explained and understood in terms of physical entities and their interactions. According to Jackson, physicalism asserts that the fundamental nature of reality is purely physical, rejecting any non-physical or dualistic explanations. Physicalism encompasses a variety of views within philosophy of mind and metaphysics, and its precise formulations can vary.