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EPISTEMOLOGY

EPISTEMOLOGY. Exploring Our Access To The Truth; Examining Human Reason, Perception And Knowledge Three Great Philosophers And Their Different Epistemologies: Descartes, Locke and Berkeley. DESCARTES’ PROJECT (Background). Descartes (1596-1650)

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EPISTEMOLOGY

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  1. EPISTEMOLOGY • Exploring Our Access To The Truth; Examining Human Reason, Perception And Knowledge • Three Great Philosophers And Their Different Epistemologies: • Descartes, Locke and Berkeley

  2. DESCARTES’ PROJECT (Background) • Descartes (1596-1650) • “Father” Of Modern Philosophy; Multi-Talented Genius • A Deeply Committed Catholic • The Goal: An Edifice Of Knowledge • The Inverted Pyramid • The Ground Rules: Avoid Error • Certainty And Justification • Chains Of Justification • Need For Certainty In First Link

  3. Descartes’ Project (cont.) • Seeking A Solid Foundation For The Inverted Pyramid Of Knowledge • Requirement: Absolute Certainty • Primary Tool: The Wrecking Ball Of Cartesian Doubt • Cartesian vs. Ordinary Doubt • Labor Saving Device: Grouping Beliefs By Virtue Of Their Type Of Support • Questioning Sources Of Beliefs

  4. Getting To Work: Seeking The Foundation • First Assault On The Senses: The Argument From Illusion • Reply: Senses Seem To Work OK Much Of The Time • Second Assault On The Senses: The Dreaming Argument • Key Point: We Can’t Be Certain That We Aren’t Now Dreaming

  5. Seeking The Foundation (cont.) • Third Assault On Senses; Primary Assault On A Priori (Mathematical) Beliefs And (Almost) Everything Else: The Deceiving Demon Argument • Clearing The Decks With Doubt • No Source Immune From Deception • Note: Don’t Need To Believe Demon Is Real; Only Possible

  6. Seeking The Foundation (cont.) • The “Cogito” • “I Exist” Is Necessarily True Every Time I Think It • Even To Be Deceived We Must Exist And Have Mental States • Other Works: “Cogito Ergo Sum” • “I Think Therefore I Am” • Certainty About The Content Of The Mind • We May Not Know If Thoughts And Experiences Are Accurate, But We Can Know We Are Having Such Thoughts And Experiences • Descartes’ Archimedian Point

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