Descartes Paper
Tim Driscoll
Professor Cahoone
Philosophy 235
October 11, 2013
The Mind Exists, but is Metaphysical Dualism Accurate?
Cogito ergo sum. “I think, therefore I exist.” This is a very simple expression, yet it is one that has caused many renowned philosophers to rethink their entire outlook on life. Rene Descartes stated this famous phrase and changed the course of Philosophy in doing so.
Descartes was born in 1596 in France, which was time when life was drastically changing; Columbus had discovered the new world, the feudal system had broken down, and the Scientific Revolution was in full force. Philosophers of the time, such as Descartes, were set on finding out what now actually existed and what was actually true. However, they had to take into account the society’s preexisting views on religion and god, as well as the new ideas of mathematics and science that had been proven true.
As he attempted to combine the new with old, Rene Descartes became one of these groundbreaking philosophers who attempted to start philosophy from scratch. The premise of Descartes’ works began with the saying, “I think, therefore I exist”. This motto came from Descartes not accepting anything and trying to doubt everything that exists. Descartes came to this realization after many hours of trying to determine what aspects of his existence were undeniable. He worked from outside to inside, quickly placing doubt on many aspects of the world that, at first glance, seem trustworthy. He went past where people had drawn the line before, and soon he was left with only a mind that necessarily exists because it thinks. Nonetheless, now knowing that the mind exists, it is important to point out that Descartes was a Metaphysical Dualist, which means that the world is separated into thinking things and extended things. The thinking things are the mind, and the extended things are all the physical and material objects in the world. Descartes states that the mind does not
Professor Cahoone
Philosophy 235
October 11, 2013
The Mind Exists, but is Metaphysical Dualism Accurate?
Cogito ergo sum. “I think, therefore I exist.” This is a very simple expression, yet it is one that has caused many renowned philosophers to rethink their entire outlook on life. Rene Descartes stated this famous phrase and changed the course of Philosophy in doing so.
Descartes was born in 1596 in France, which was time when life was drastically changing; Columbus had discovered the new world, the feudal system had broken down, and the Scientific Revolution was in full force. Philosophers of the time, such as Descartes, were set on finding out what now actually existed and what was actually true. However, they had to take into account the society’s preexisting views on religion and god, as well as the new ideas of mathematics and science that had been proven true.
As he attempted to combine the new with old, Rene Descartes became one of these groundbreaking philosophers who attempted to start philosophy from scratch. The premise of Descartes’ works began with the saying, “I think, therefore I exist”. This motto came from Descartes not accepting anything and trying to doubt everything that exists. Descartes came to this realization after many hours of trying to determine what aspects of his existence were undeniable. He worked from outside to inside, quickly placing doubt on many aspects of the world that, at first glance, seem trustworthy. He went past where people had drawn the line before, and soon he was left with only a mind that necessarily exists because it thinks. Nonetheless, now knowing that the mind exists, it is important to point out that Descartes was a Metaphysical Dualist, which means that the world is separated into thinking things and extended things. The thinking things are the mind, and the extended things are all the physical and material objects in the world. Descartes states that the mind does not