Knowledge: René Descartes and Knowledge Essay

Submitted By BrandonPersaudHo
Words: 1690
Pages: 7
Open Document
Chapter 10: Philosophy

Brandon Persaud
Mr. Gray
HZT-4U1
February 20th 2015

Chapter 10

#1-3, pg. 207
#1, pg. 209
#1-2, pg. 213
#1, pg. 216

207 #1-3 – Reflection On Language

1. How does this excerpt demonstrate that Noam Chomsky is a rationalist?

This excerpt demonstrate that Noam Chomsky is a rationalist due to the fact that Chomsky believes in something by the phrase “A mirror in mind” which expresses that the human language can effect the natural characteristics in our own minds. A person who is a rationalist believes that exercising the human ability to reason. Noam strongly believes that language is created and progressed inside the human mind that is an outcome of obtaining human intelligent in society.

2. Select one idea or statement that supports Plato’s theory of knowledge and one that supports Descartes’s theory. Explain how each does so.

Plato Plato quotes “For the conscious mind, not specially designed for the purpose, it remains a distant goal to reconstruct what the child has done intuitively and with minimal force. Thus language is a mirror of mind in a deep and significant sense”. Plato strongly believes that all objects that are inhabited in the material world of senses, which there is an analogous idea what also is inhabited in the minds of humans.

Descartes
Descartes quotes “ The concepts expressed and distinctions developed ion normal language use gives us insight into patterns of thought and the world of common sense”. Descartes expressed that the human mind can come to a conclusion on how it can know things in the world on its own free will which is basically common sense when an individual knows something for certain through practicality and being rational as well as believing this knowledge comes from through their own reason. (Sometimes it can lead to false causalities depending on the knowledge they know or source.)

3. Which theory of knowledge –Plato or Descartes’s – does Chomsky seem to support? Provide evidence of the analysis you conducted to reach this conclusion.

In my perspective I believe that Noam Chomsky seems to support Plato’s thoughts and innate (natural) ideas help explain the mystery of linguistics. Plato says that these forms are natural because they inhabit in every human mind since they’re respective birth. These two ideas are similar through innate ideas. Quotes from the text “thus language is a mirror of mind in a deep and significant sense. It is a product of human intelligent”. As well as another quote states, “It remains a distant goal to reconstruct what the child has done intuitively and with minimal effort.

209 #1

1. Both Plato and Rene Descartes used skepticism to develop their theories of knowledge. For which Philosopher was it more important tool? Explain why you think so.

In my opinion I believe that Descartes skepticism. Reason why I believe this is due to the exploration skepticism is always used to his disposal. Skepticism is defined as the theory that certain knowledge is impossible. He uses skepticism so he can differentiate between believing and knowing. He believes that human experience offers no ground for believing anything, that one owns body is real. He supported this theory by using his evil genius argument what basically is an evil genius that plants thoughts and ideas in people’s minds and maniupulates them.

213 #1-2

1. Are there some things that humans can never know? This is one of the main questions of epistemology. How does Hume’s theory of knowledge answer this question?

David Hume’s theory answers the question “Are there some thing that humans can never know”, Hume goes on stating the definition of causality which means the cause and affect relationship between events. For example if you had a long day and you are really weary, fatigue and tired. In this scenario the cause is your sleepiness and tiredness and the affect is you getting sleep. Hume explains that when Ball A rolls
Show More

Related Documents: Knowledge: René Descartes and Knowledge Essay

Mind over Body- Essay 1

Meditations I and II the arguments made by Rene Descartes lead him to the conclusion that the human mind is better known than the body. I will defend Descartes argument of the human mind being better known than the body by proving that the senses of the body possess the capability of being deceptive, that the existence of the mind is impossible to doubt, and that the only effective way to achieve absolute certainty and acquire firm and lasting knowledge is through the application of pure reason…

Words 1004 - Pages 5

Skeptical Philosophers Essay

allegory of the cave by Plato, Meditations on First Philosophy by Rene Descartes, and The Matrix, I begin to thoroughly understand the meaning of the term skepticism in philosophy. As mentioned by Dew and Foreman, there are varying levels of skepticism, but generally speaking, all skeptics tend to lack trust in the claims of knowledge made by others (Dew and Foreman, 2014, P. 148). The Matrix and both the readings from Rene Descartes and Plato all display characteristics of skepticism. Each story holds…

Words 906 - Pages 4

The History Of Psychology

stands out as one of the more crucial ones is Descartes. Many western philosophers such as John Locke and John Mill were heavily influenced by the writings done by Descartes. It was at that time that psychology began its formation into the science it is today. The Philosophers Many things happened in the 17th century, including it being the turning point of philosophy becoming psychology. The person given the most credit for its formation is René Descartes (1596-1650) he is often called the father…

Words 844 - Pages 4

Analysis Of Rene Descartes Meditation

In meditation II, Rene Descartes describes the wax experiment. Descartes's purpose of the wax experiment is to show how our senses are unreliable, using the experiment as his argument. He states that there’s a complication with empiricism and that the wax is identified through the mind, which means it is rationalism. Descartes also shows how we perceive things and their qualities. Rene Descartes first describes the wax, “everything is present in the wax that appears needed to enable a body to…

Words 565 - Pages 3

An Examination Of Essay

same; also I agree with the views of dualism, that the mind and brain (by extension the body) are two separate and distinct entities. The Mind and Body Dualism is the idea proposed by Rene Descartes that the human mind and body are two distinct entities that communicate with each other to make a person. Descartes theorized that the mind and the body communicate with each other via a small structure at the base of the brain called the pineal gland. Standing opposite of dualism is materialism; materialism…

Words 1415 - Pages 6

Descartes vs Locke Essay

Essay (Descartes vs. Locke) Socrates once said, “As for me, all I know is that I know nothing.” Several philosophers contradicted Socrates’ outlook and believed that true knowledge was in fact attainable. This epistemological view however had several stances to it, as philosophers held different beliefs in regards to the derivation of true knowledge. Rationalists believed that the mind was the source of true knowledge, while in Empiricism, true knowledge derived from the senses. Rene Descartes…

Words 1186 - Pages 5

Rationalism In The Enlightenment

opposed to the rationalist belief that the mind is born with knowledge. The kind of knowledge an empiricist is found through inductive reasoning. Empiricism is often contrasted with rationalism because of their belief system having many aspects different than one another. The concept of a "tabula rasa" (or "clean slate") had been established as early as the 11th Century. A philosopher from Persia named Avicenna, claimed that knowledge is attained through empirical awareness with objects in this…

Words 796 - Pages 4

Descartes: Mind and Descartes Rene Descartes Essay

Liliana Ralls English 1 Professor: Darya Myers June 05, 2013 Rene Descartes Rene Descartes was a highly influential French philosopher, scientist and mathematician, who was widely considered one of the celebrated geniuses of the sixteen century. He is also known as the “Father of Modern Philosophy.” Descartes grew up in a society where ideas and thoughts were not questioned, but were supposed to be accepted without being compromised. Descartes began to stride in the field of philosophy at a young age…

Words 1102 - Pages 5

How Did Francis Bacon Impact The Scientific Revolution

The long successful lives of Francis Bacon and René Descartes greatly impacted the Scientific Revolution, and later generations, by developing philosophical theories and methods. Both Bacon and Descartes held the belief that “…virtually all beliefs of preceding generations (outside religion) as worthless…” (Palmer, R.R., et al. A History of the Modern World: Tenth Edition. New York State, 2007). These two revolutionary minds also had many more opinions, and philosophies, some ideas they agreed on…

Words 273 - Pages 2

Philosophy: Metaphysics and Descartes Essay

Phil: 1301 May 1, 2013 The life of Rene Descartes and Bishop Berkeley Rene Descartes was born on March 31, 1596 in the town of La Haye in the south of France. Descartes also spent time studying philosophy, theology, and medicine. Descartes believed that the soul was a different entity from the body. He believed that the soul was distinct from the body and could exist without it. He believed that the two had opposite natures and that the body is…

Words 507 - Pages 3