1. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) The Father of Modern Philosophy

2. Descartes’ Writing
Discourse on Method (1637)
Meditations (1642)

3. Cartesian Epistemology
Wanted a break from scholasticism
RATIONALISM
Intuition
Understanding self-evident principles
1 + 1 = 2
Deduction
Reasoning or inference from self-evident principles
Significance of REASON
MATH!

4. Our senses are unreliable—intellect tells us what is real.
The Piece of Wax
Our senses are unreliable—intellect tells us what is real.

5. Methodological Doubt Descartes discarded all previous knowledge
Descartes’ goal: make philosophy a mathematical proof
How does Descartes know he is not being deceived?
The “evil deceiver”
“Cogito, ergo sum”
I think, therefore I am
Je pense, donc je suis

6. “Subjectivism” and Modern Philosophy
Descartes’ conclusions lead to a troubling conclusion:
All we can know for certain is our own existence
Our knowledge of external objects becomes problematic
Knowledge of these things is only known relative to our own minds
We are “locked in our skulls”
No more hylomorphism

7. Cartesian Metaphysics
Why God must exist…
Cogito only proved Descartes exists
Only God can cause our idea of a perfect God
If God exists, then we are not being tricked
The outside world must exist
Therefore, the physical world has to exist
But….

8. The Mind-Body Problem “Cartesian Dualism” (Metaphysical Dualism)
Mind and body are separate
Physical: occupies space, causally determined
Mental: free-thinking
How is this like Plato? How is it different?
But this raises a question…
Our bodies are subject to laws of science
Our thoughts are not

9. A diagram of the “pineal gland,” which Descartes believed was the point of connection between Body and Mind.

10. Materialism
Materialists say everything can be explained through science
Even thought?
The Turing Test (Alan Turing)
The Chinese Room (John Searle)

11. Free Will vs. Determinism
Do we have free will?
If God is the initial cause of all things, is that determinism?
Where does Freud fit?
And the Behaviorists?
And Newton?
And Christianity?