Rene Descartes (1596-1650) The Father of Modern Philosophy

Descartes’ Writing Discourse on Method (1637) Meditations (1642)

Cartesian Epistemology Wanted a break from scholasticism RATIONALISM Intuition Understanding self-evident principles 1 + 1 = 2 Deduction Reasoning or inference from self-evident principles Significance of REASON MATH!

Our senses are unreliable—intellect tells us what is real. The Piece of Wax Our senses are unreliable—intellect tells us what is real.

Methodological Doubt Descartes discarded all previous knowledge Descartes’ goal: make philosophy a mathematical proof How does Descartes know he is not being deceived? The “evil deceiver” “Cogito, ergo sum” I think, therefore I am Je pense, donc je suis

“Subjectivism” and Modern Philosophy Descartes’ conclusions lead to a troubling conclusion: All we can know for certain is our own existence Our knowledge of external objects becomes problematic Knowledge of these things is only known relative to our own minds We are “locked in our skulls” No more hylomorphism

Cartesian Metaphysics Why God must exist… Cogito only proved Descartes exists Only God can cause our idea of a perfect God If God exists, then we are not being tricked The outside world must exist Therefore, the physical world has to exist But….

The Mind-Body Problem “Cartesian Dualism” (Metaphysical Dualism) Mind and body are separate Physical: occupies space, causally determined Mental: free-thinking How is this like Plato? How is it different? But this raises a question… Our bodies are subject to laws of science Our thoughts are not

A diagram of the “pineal gland,” which Descartes believed was the point of connection between Body and Mind.

Materialism Materialists say everything can be explained through science Even thought? The Turing Test (Alan Turing) The Chinese Room (John Searle)

Free Will vs. Determinism Do we have free will? If God is the initial cause of all things, is that determinism? Where does Freud fit? And the Behaviorists? And Newton? And Christianity?