Philosophy Test 2

When one conceives clearly and distinctly of a triangle, one is necessarily conceiving of a figure that has this property. To deny this property would be a contradiction. Similarly, the concept of God is of a being that has the property of existence necessarily. To deny this property would be a contradiction. To conceive of God is to conceive of a being from whom the property of existence is inseparable. Existence belong's to God's essence.

Descartes

Kant

Predicate contained in the subject. Example: All bachelors unmarried, all tall men are tall. Dont have to find this out.

Predicate not contained in the subject. Example: Sugar is soluble, pickles are divisible. Have to find this out.

Berkeley

Descartes believed in foundationalism: Is the position in epistemology according to which our knowledge is based on a number of indubitable, certain beliefs. On the basis of these foundational beliefs we build the superstructure of our knowledge.

Perceptual Error - " the senses are sometimes deceptive." -Descartes Perceptual error doesn't, however, generate skepticism about perceptual knowledge in general.

Dreaming - "Let us assume then, for the sake of argument that we are dreaming and that such particulars as these are not true: that we are opening our eyes, moving our head, and extending our hands. Perhaps we don't have such hands, or any body at all." - Descartes Doesn't generate skepticism.

Evil Genius - "I will suppose that a supremely good God, the source of truth but rather an evil genius, supremely powerful and clever, who has directed his entire effort at deceiving me." - Descartes The evil genius hypothesis generates skeptica doubt about our knowledge that there is a world external to our minds. "I suppose everything I see is false. I believe that none of what my deceitful memory represents ever existed. I have no senses whatever. Body, shape, extension, movement, place are all chimeras - Descartes. "I have persauded myself that there is absolutely nothing in the world: no sky, no earth, no minds, no bodies. Is it then the case that I too don't exist? But doubtless I did exist, if I persauded myself of something." - Descartes Example: Thinking your in the Matrix, The brain in the vact.

Argument of Modus Ponens P1: If I cannot know that not-D, then I cannot know O. P2: I cannot know that not - D C: I cannot know O D: I am dreaming O: Any piece of ordinary perceptual knowledge

You know that you exist

Locke - " Let us suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper void of all characters, without any ideas. How comes it to be furnished? Experience."

Sensation and Reflection

"Our senses...convey into the mind" such ideas as "yellow, white, heat, cold, soft, hard, bitter, sweet, and all those which we call sensible qualities." - Locke