EURO ST 10 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Cartesian Doubt, Analytic Geometry
Document Summary
A second development of the 17th century. The desire for philosophical certainty and the rise of rationalism (i. e. , primacy of the human faculty of reason) Religion no longer a guarantee of security and stability because of conflicting beliefs. The bible now available to everyone thanks to luther, but this just opens up a the possiibility of conflicting interpretations. And people changing their religions (recall the treaty) Spent much time in netherlands and traveling for the court. Died in sweden as tutor to queen christiana. On the passions of the soul (1649) Begin with something certain and proceed logically. Developed the philosophical approach called rationalism (as opposed to. Descartes method of doubt - methodological skepticism. I certainly can doubt my sensory experience ( wax argument ) I could even doubt everything i experience as real, since it could be in fact be a dream. Indeed, nothing in my experience could be it is because an evil genius could be deceiving me.