Descartes' Method of Doubt

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  • Created by: Rose
  • Created on: 30-03-14 09:50
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  • Descartes' Method
    • 1. Begins with doubt
      • a radical skepticism
      • any doubt is sufficient for treating it as false
    • 2. Rejects Empiricism
      • can't trust our senses - deceive us
      • victims of illusion, dreams, demons
    • 3. Reason
      • this is what makes Descartes a rationalist
      • use human intellect alone to establish truths
        • What are these truths?
          • A priori/Innate
          • Certain - not open to doubt
            • inconceivable that evidence should be presented against them
          • Foundational Beliefs - build beliefs on them
            • 1. Own existence 2. A perfect god exists
          • Self-Justified Beliefs
            • nothing need to establish certainty
          • Analytic Truths - true by definition
          • Deduction - deduce from foundational beliefs
            • if general truth is true then this most also be true
  • use human intellect alone to establish truths
    • What are these truths?
      • A priori/Innate
      • Certain - not open to doubt
        • inconceivable that evidence should be presented against them
      • Foundational Beliefs - build beliefs on them
        • 1. Own existence 2. A perfect god exists
      • Self-Justified Beliefs
        • nothing need to establish certainty
      • Analytic Truths - true by definition
      • Deduction - deduce from foundational beliefs
        • if general truth is true then this most also be true

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