tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post111214463397819967..comments2024-03-18T11:10:18.708-07:00Comments on dangerous idea: Some lecture notes on DescartesVictor Repperthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10962948073162156902noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-16928636839771084022008-10-06T10:26:00.000-07:002008-10-06T10:26:00.000-07:00Old point, but here goes...Consider the following ...Old point, but here goes...<BR/><BR/>Consider the following principle:<BR/><BR/><I>Any belief with respect to which I do not enjoy certitude should be relinquished.</I><BR/><BR/>Something like that is going to play a crucial role in any of Descartes' skeptical arguments. This principle, along with beliefs like <I>possibly, Satan is controlling my mind</I>, seems much less certain than beliefs like <I>2+2=4</I> and <I>there are material objects</I>.Charliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16241851773339800938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-1162368146879805182006-11-01T01:02:00.000-07:002006-11-01T01:02:00.000-07:00From a didactic point of view, great notes! I'm s...From a didactic point of view, great notes! I'm still getting my act together when it comes to setting the historical context for my students. I found your notes helpful in this regard!<BR/><BR/>All the best,<BR/><BR/>exapologistexapologisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09915579495149582531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-1153682530310579552006-07-23T12:22:00.000-07:002006-07-23T12:22:00.000-07:00First point in reply to 42 is that he assumes that...First point in reply to 42 is that he assumes that we cannot know the proposition "I exist" is true unless we know many things about the nature of "I". I find this assumption unwarranted as does Descartes.<BR/><BR/>Secondly, if it were true that "Science shows us that nothing exists unchanged for even a milisecond." this would not show that existence was an arbitray concept. Although the expression "existence" we use for this concept may be said to be arbitrary. Further it is a myth (normally held by those adhering to some Eastern mysticism that science shows that nothing exists unchanged for even a millisecond). <BR/><BR/>Finally 42 asserts that the imperenance of all composite phenomena is a deep ontological truth as if this were a criticism of Descartes whereas Descartes recognised and accepted a sense in which the physical world was always changing (and one wherein it was not) but this did not alter the nature of the self. Hence 42's arguments are not directed against Descartes arguments and suggests that 42 has not read his Descartes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-1143921189174743442006-04-01T12:53:00.000-07:002006-04-01T12:53:00.000-07:00"I exist" is something of a slippery assertion.Wha..."I exist" is something of a slippery assertion.<BR/><BR/>What do we mean by "I"?<BR/><BR/>Is the 56 year-old "I" the same as the six-year old "I" of half a century ago? What stays constant? Is the "I" a process rather than a thing? <BR/><BR/>Also, "to exist" is an arbitrary concept. Science shows us that nothing exists unchanged for even a millisecond. If we say that something 'exists', all we are stating is that an aggregation of components hangs together and remains relatively unchanged long enough for our practical purposes.<BR/><BR/>The atmosphere exists, a lightning flash happens. A thunderstorm both happens and sort of exists for a while.<BR/><BR/>My car is a process for converting metal into rust and fossil fuels into greenhouse gases. It exists for a while and then fades as it reaches the end of its bathtub curve. The point at which it ceases to exist as a car is fairly arbitrary and depends on how much I wish to spend to keep it going.<BR/><BR/>Viewed on a long enough timescale, galaxies, stars and planets are processes or events.<BR/><BR/>The impermanence of all composite phenomena is a deep ontological truth. The 'existence' of any composite phenomenon is a useful but essentially shallow arbitrary designation.<BR/><BR/>Maybe Descartes should have said "Impermanence is experienced" - nobody could delude him about that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com