PHIL 101 Lecture 2: Descartes' Meditation VI
Document Summary
Imagining: forming a mental image in your mind"s eye: understanding: thinking of thing but unable to form that mental image. If it"s metaphysically possible to separate two things, then they must be distinct. Application to souls: argument heavily relies on material from first two meditations, breakdown of what descartes says: I can clearly and distinctly understand myself existing without my body (or anything physical): anything that i can clearly and distinctly understand is metaphysically possible. So, by 1 and 2, it"s metaphysically possible for me to exist without my body (or anything physical): but, if it"s metaphysically possible for a to exist without b, then a and b must not be identical. So, i am not identical with my body (or anything physical). Problem for the argument from clear and distinct understanding: fermat fantasy, amnesia. I (professor kotzen) seem to clearly and distinctly understand killing professor.
