Day 6: Finishing Up Descartes

•            First Half of Class (Intro to Philosophy of Religion)

     –        Review/Questions

     –        Argument in Meditation Three; “Cartesian Circle” & other objections

     –        Argument in Meditation Five (i.e. ontological argument, & objections)

     –        Some other Arguments; Common Questions; Suffering

•            Second Half of Class (Meditation Six)

     –        Understanding and Imagination

     –        The External World

     –        Mind and Body

     –        Descartes’ “Philosophy of Science”

•             For next time (first half of class): study for test 2

•             For next time (second half): read Hume’s Enquiry, sections IV-VI

The Argument in Meditation Three

•           What is the argument for God’s existence in Meditation Three?

•           How strong is it?

The “Cartesian Circle”

•           In Meditation Three, what role does cause and effect play in the argument for God’s existence?

•           Is that premise clear and distinct?

•           In which Meditation does Descartes show that clear and distinct ideas are reliable?  How does he do that?

•           In which Meditation does he appear to start using clear and distinct ideas?

•           Do you see a potential problem?

The Argument in Meditation Five

•           What is the argument for God’s existence in Meditation Five?

•           How strong is it?

Some Other Arguments

•           Teleological (argument from design)

•           Cosmological (first cause argument)

•           Argument from experience

•           Historical (argument from testimony)

•           Combining Arguments

Common  Questions

•           If there is conflicting testimony, can’t we just dismiss it all?

•           If we don’t require conclusive reasons, doesn’t that mean that there isn’t a right answer and that anything (or nothing) can be justified?

•           If you could prove God’s existence, why would you need faith?

•           Are there arguments against the existence of God?

Argument From Unnecessary/Undeserved Suffering

•           If God exists, then God is all good, all powerful, and all knowing.

•           If such a being exists, then such a being would want to prevent unnecessary suffering, would have the power to do it, and would know how to do it.

•           However, unnecessary suffering does exist.

•           Therefore, a being that is all good, all powerful, and all knowing (i.e. God) does not exist.

•           Concerns, comments or objections?

Understanding and Imagination

•           Can you imagine a triangle? A square? Can you imagine a chiliagon?

•           Do you understand what a chiliagon is?

•           How does Descartes use the answers to the last two questions?

Understanding and Imagination

•           Can we conceive of the mind without imagination?

•           What does Descartes think the answer to the preceding question means for the status of the imagination?  Does it belong completely to the mind, or not?

The External World

•           What are the three possible ways that sense experience could arise in me?

•           What is Descartes’ general strategy for establishing the existence of the external world?

The External World

•           Why does Descartes think that my mind cannot be causing sensory experience?

•           Why does Descartes think that God could not be causing sensory experience?

•           What is the only remaining cause of sensory experience?

Mind and Body

•           Is body divisible?

•           Is mind divisible?  How does Descartes argue for the answer to that question?  What example does he use?

•           Some possible worries

Descartes’ “Philosophy of Science”

•           What are clear and distinct ideas?

•           To which class of clear and distinct ideas does Descartes attach great importance?

•           Some important passages regarding the mathematization of the study of nature

•           How far can the mathematical study of nature go?