PHI 1104 Study Guide - Final Guide: Dream Argument, Pure Mathematics, Waking Life
Document Summary
Many of descartes" received opinions are false, and from these false opinions, he had built other false opinions, forcing him to realize that he had to raze everything to the ground and begin again from original foundations". This raises the question about how to go about systematically evaluating his thought. It is too much to ask him to show that all his opinions are false, so he sets a standard: to withhold assent from, or doubt, every opinion that is not clear and distinct. Therefore he needs to undermine his previous foundations. So descartes investigates the foundations in order to see if there is a reason to doubt his previous convictions. (cid:176) we can doubt physics, astronomy and medicine, and other sciences based on corporeality. Descartes does dream, and though it is possible to distinguish between dreams and waking life, sometimes it is not.
