Philosophy 1020 Lecture Notes - Cartesian Doubt, Ontological Argument, Augeas

• School: Western University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: Philosophy 1020
• Professor: John Thorp

Document Summary

Lecture ten: descartes" rationalism: historical and biographical matters. One of the most famous philosophical texts of all time: the meditation of first. Philosophy (published in latin (1641), subsequently published also in french) Often called the father of modern philosophy . Interested in the nature of science and in the method of science: arguments of authority, the project: Descartes project was to pull down the edifice of knowledge . Then build it up again sure foundations, on foundations of certainty. Metaphor cleaning the augean stables : referring to hercules had to clean stables, had a plan to make a river flow through the stables to wipe out all the mess. Pull down the degenerate edifice of knowledge and then rebuild it on firmer foundations: the method of doubt: Doubt everything which can be doubted- using the highest possible standards: memory. Much of what i know is based on memory but memory is often false: sense-perception.