1. Rene Descartes Father of Modern Philosophy
b. March in La Haye France
wrote Meditations in 1641
d. February

2. Background The Scientific Revolution Galileo and the Copernican system
Descartes and the Jesuits who taught him
Bacon and the Scientific Method
Main theme: Get rid of Aristotle!

3. Epistemology How do I know anything?
What does it mean to know something?

4. Foundationalism Knowledge = “justified true belief.”
All knowledge depends upon some one belief that we know to be true beyond all possible doubt
To find that one belief we must attempt to raise doubts against all beliefs we hold until we cannot doubt them any longer

5. Hyperbolic Doubt

6. How do I come to experience the wax?

7. Am I really dreaming?

8. The Brain in a Vat

9. The Evil Genius

10. The Truth I cannot Doubt
Cogito; ergo sum
I think; therefore I am
The Truth I cannot Doubt

11. But What is this “I” who thinks?

12. I am a Thinking Thing!