PHIL384 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Pure Mathematics, Baruch Spinoza
16 Mar 2016
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Phil 384: midterm exam: in the lecture notes the problem of geometric knowledge is discussed. Explain this problem and discuss how it relates to the rationalism-empiricism debate. Focus in particular on how you think descartes and leibniz might respond to an empiricist challenge based on the problem of geometric knowledge. * reference: lecture notes - lecture 5 (meditation 6); descartes - part 4 of discourse, pg. 93-4; p. 132 the sun example; lecture 12, pg. The certitude of geometrical demonstrations themselves is dependent on the knowledge of god (111) God didn"t exist because god decides what it perfectif god didn"t exist, geometric dimensions wouldn"t be knowledge but just a random case of realitythey exist as contingents and not necessary things. Descartes feels that geometric knowledge is clear and distinct because it doesn"t provide anything new with additions of more information or experience, that is, they remain the same as eternal truths (153-4)
