Theories of Knowledge, Wednesday, April 15
DESCARTES
Doubt everything- see what's left
Look to see what features the undoubtable belief has-try to deduce them
Sensed have "lied" to us repeatedly-untrustworthy in themselves
"I think therefore I am" Cognito sergo som
If there is deception there must be someone who is deceived
If there is thought there has to be a thinker
If there is doubt there has to be a doubter
"I exist" (as a conscious entity)-foundation of knowledge
"I think therefore I am"-"clear and distinct"
self evident-an obvious belief, don't have to prove it
Descartes believes it is an a priori belief, logical deduction
Foundation/axioms:the shortest distance between two points on a plane is a straight line
Science/Knowledge is possible external world exists
metaphysical truths
"God exists", "God is good", "God is no deceiver"
Knowledge is possible(if we try our best)
God is a perfect being
Existance is a perfection (a perfect being must contain within itself all perfections)
If god didn't exist then he wouldn't be perfect
God is perfect-therefore he exists-Ontological argument
HUME-EMPIRICIST
"I think therefore I am"
there is no "I", no self
self is a bundle of perception
Collection of conscious states, but no conscious thing
Can't go from conscious states exist to Soul/Mind exists