Descartes Meditations On First Philosophy - 1079 Words

Throughout Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes argues for the ideas and philosophical beliefs behind skepticism. In his writings, he describes the fallibility and importance of the body of man and through extension the senses with which we observe the world. This paper will first show that within Descartes’ writings the body is an extension of the mind. Secondly, this paper will prove that the senses are a false form of understanding which leads to the deception of the mind. Finally, this paper will address the inconsistency that arises from these definitions of Descartes, specifically the incompatibility of a completely independent mind and a body dependent upon that mind. Within the second meditation, Descartes arrives on the subject of what a body truly is. It is important to point out that Descartes is not arguing for what we consider our body to be, that is, our hands, feet, torso, and all other parts of our physical being, but what a body is in t he general sense, or what it means to have a body. For this, Descartes takes the example of a piece of wax and attempts to determine what the body of this wax is. He first defines it as the various properties that the piece of wax seems to hold in its present state. It has particular tastes, smells, textures, a particular shape, and a specific color. Descartes progresses further in the investigation of the body of the wax by changing these characteristics. He melts the wax until it is disfigured and itsShow MoreRelatedDescartes Meditations On First Philosophy807 Words   |  4 PagesConner Ruhl Professor Copley Philosophy 1000C 4 May 2015 Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy Rene Descartes was the first great philosopher of the modern era, He had a new approach which was focused on scientific and mathematical truths. Descartes came to reject the scholastic tradition, one of which he was educated, due to his pursuit of mathematical and scientific truth. Much of Descartes work was done to secure advancement of human knowledge through the use of the natural sciencesRead MoreDescartes Meditations On First Philosophy1318 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophical Questions November 2, 2017 Cogito Ergo Sum Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy and his questioning of our existence in reality is a question which philosophers have tackled throughout time. 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Then I will go on to explain how it isRead MoreDescartes Meditations On First Philosophy922 Words   |  4 PagesIn Rene Descartes’ excerpt, Meditations on First Philosophy, he proclaims, â€Å"It is beyond question that I shall reach the truth if I think hard enough about the things that I perfectly understand, keeping them separate from all the other matters in which my thoughts are more confused and obscure† ( §104). When Descartes made this statement in his fourth meditation, what was he conjecturing by the term â€Å"perfect?† According to the standard interpretation, perfect encompasses all required or desirable