Essay about Descartes’ Cogito - 1542 Words

Descartes’ Cogito It is the purpose of this essay to examine both Descartes’ Cogito argument and his skepticism towards small and universal elements, as well as the implications these arguments have on each other. First, I will summarize and explain the skepticism Descartes’ brings to bear on small and universal elements in his first meditation. Second, I will summarize and explain the Cogito argument, Descartes’ famous â€Å"I think, therefore I am† (it should be noted that this famous implication is not actually something ever said or written by Descartes, but instead, an implication taken from his argument for his own existence). Third, I will critique the line of reasoning underlying these arguments. Descartes attacks†¦show more content†¦Descartes attacks the possibility of certainty with regards to the existence of small and universal elements with the possibility of our thoughts being altered by an omnipotent deceiver. In paragraph nine, he states, â€Å"How do I know that he did not bring it about that there be no Earth at all, no heavens, no extended thing, no figure, no size, no place, and yet all these things should seem to me to exist precisely as they appear to do now.† His point is that this omnipotent evil deceiver could create in our minds an understanding of mathematics and logic that is at odds with reality, causing us to construe everything wrongly. Thus Descartes ends this final and devastating doubt with the preliminary conclusion that everything he perceives can be called into doubt. Descartes answers his seemingly hopeless skepticism from the first meditation with the Cogito. The basic point of his Cogito argument is that for me to either perceive awry, or even to doubt my own existence, I must exist. It is, as Descartes says, â€Å"’I am, I exist’ is necessarily true every time it is uttered by me or conceived in my mind (Med2, par3).† He makes two arguments for the Cogito in his second meditation. Descartes arrives at the Cogito through the notion of an omnipotent deceiver actually. He starts to question his ownShow MoreRelatedThe Cartesian Cogito By Rene ÃÅ'  Descartes1513 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cartesian Cogito In â€Å"Meditation Two† of Meditations, Objections, and Replies, ReneÃŒ  Descartes argues that we cannot doubt our own existence. Descartes’s Cogito argument is actually stimulated by the â€Å"numerous† â€Å"false opinions† (9) in â€Å"Meditation One†, which he believed true in his youth but now doubts and attempts to attack through his own writing. Descartes’s doubts involve three stages. The first doubt concerns sense illusion. In other words, Descartes formerly maintained that we obtained truthRead MoreDescartes Cogito Ergo Sum And Ontological Arguments1833 Words   |  8 Pagesshow that Descartes’ cogito ergo sum and ontological arguments both rely on the method of doubt and follow from the premise that essence implies existence. The cogito ergo sum is different from the latter one, however, from the fact that it did not contain the premise regarding the cause and effect of an idea having objective reality. The main problem with this argument is that while essence and existence were said to be inseparable, it does not happen to be the case. First of all, Descartes’ cogitoRead MoreDescartes’ Cogito Argument Successfully Shows the Evil Demon Argument is Unsound888 Words   |  4 PagesDoes Descartes’ Cogito argument successfully show that the Evil Demon Argument is unsound? 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EachRead MoreDescartes Mind and Body1480 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes’ Mind Body Dualism Rene Descartes’ main purpose is to attempt to prove that the mind that is the soul or the thinking thing is distinct and is separate from the body. This thinking thing was the core of himself, which doubts, believes, reasons, feels and thinks. Descartes considers the body to be an extended unthinking thing; therefore it is possible that one may exist without the other. This view is known as mind-body dualism. He believes that what he is thinking in his mind is what GodRead MoreThe Meditations On First Philosophy By Rene Descartes916 Words   |  4 Pages The Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes is a thorough analysis about doubt. Descartes describes his method of doubt to determine whether he can truly know something. One of his major arguments is the proof of the existence of God. In this paper, I will attempt to unravel the flaws in Descartes proof that God exists. 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