Descartes

Rene Descartes

Born: March 31, 1596, Descartes, Indre-et-Loire

Died: February 11, 1650, Stockholm

I THINK THEREFORE I AM

I Think Therefore I Exist

Je pense donc je suis

Cogito ergo sum

Discourse on Method and Related Writings
ISBN 13: 978-0-140-44699-9

A Joke
Rene Descartes went into his favorite bar and the bar tender asked, "would you like your usual drink, Monsieur Descartes? " Descartes replied "I think not" and promptly disappeared/vanished.

Descartes died of pneumonia!
The Idea of The Method came to Descartes in a Dream

After the lecture my conclusion was; the essence of thinking (imagining, conceiving) of a thought, idea, concept creates it's existence even if its not tangible physically and does not require a body.

Doubt

Q1

The method mentioned in the book title refers to a hypothetical outline.
 contrast between math and experimental sciences

Descartes defines reason as commonsense (p. 05).

Science refers to reliable knowledge based on first principles (p. 04).

Q2
Part One

a. good sense or reason refers to the ability to judge well (p. 05). Knowing true from false
 Although we have differences of perspectives - we may not think the same- we should use our minds well. (p. 05)

b. Descartes says "My present aim is not to teach (...) but to reveal (...)" the process  - the difference is free will. Not saying that it must be done his way (p. 10).

Q3
Part Two

a. (p. 13 & 14)
Reform Thoughts
deconstruct
break into small parts

b. (p. 14 )
Of Two Minds

c. (p. 16 )Inferences, think, within a scope, observe, deduce
Scientific method of proof
examine problems
don't accept truth until it's proven
guide thoughts

Q4
Part Three

a. (p. 20) The provisional moral code are the rules/guidelines that Descartes will follow.

b. Descartes moral maxims may work but I would not choose the method.

c. Relation between four moral maxims and four rules of the method

Flexible/Rigid

prove truth/moderate choices

subdivide problem into parts/firm and resolute

be comprehensive/ overcome self

enumeration/

Q5

Part Four

a. The first truth in Descartes Method involves thinking not action (p. 25)

thinking about thinking. thoughts are not necessarily true

The method (p. 26) further entails existence, soul, self, nature, god.

(p. 30)

perfection - we are not perfect

dreams
imagination

b. Enumeration of Descartes argument of Meditations:
- reject everything as false if there is doubt
- thinking proves existence
- thinking about perfection
- only god could create a thought of perfection
"(...) the imagination or the senses could ever convince us of anything if our understanding did not intervene in the process."  (p. 28)

from a website

1. Accept as true only what is indubitable.
2. Divide every question into manageable parts.
3. Begin with the simplest issues and ascend to the more complex.
4. Review frequently enough to retain the whole argument at once.

(p. 28)
god exists
god is perfect being
everything in us derives from god
therefore everything we conceive clearly and distinctly are all true

however, .... falsity...

Q6
Part Five

a. humans are distinguished from animals by
(p. 41, 42) No mind, No Language, No Intelligence

b. the relation of the human mind and the human body in a human being according to Descartes; separate
(p. 25) " (...) even if the body did not exist the soul would still be everything that it is."
the self is the soul distinct from the body. thinking does not require a body.
(p. 42) " (...) reasons that prove that our soul is of such a nature that it is completely independent of the body, (...).

c. Descartes vision moving forward is "(...) I decided to use the time that remains to me in life for nothing else except trying to acquire a knowledge of nature, from which one could draw some more reliable rules for medicine than those we have had up to now." (p. 54)