Descartes A Paradigm Shift in Philosophical Thinking Essay

Descartes, often referred to as the â€Å"father of modern philosophy,† solidified his foundational role in abstract thinking with his work â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy.† This piece sought to prove the existence of God, as well as provide a criticism of our epistemic standards and values. By undergoing a thought experiment that involved a form of methodological skepticism, Descartes attempted to analyze his beliefs from a clean surface, to see how many of his typical thoughts and beliefs he would be able to keep. Any form of doubt about a belief or topic would warrant its removal from Descartes’ metaphorical table, and unsurprisingly, that table was quite empty. The persistence of Descartes’ work is not due to a lack of†¦show more content†¦Using the afore-mentioned notion of methodological skepticism, Descartes attempts to abandon everything that he could possibly doubt. Interestingly, he even allows some room for the pressing atheist, claiming that he has â€Å"no reply† (at this point in his meditations) towards arguments that God is fictitious (Descartes 137). He takes this a step further, and claims that if he is reforming his beliefs from a clean slate, he cannot even be aware that he is awake. Rooted in the notion that our senses are fallible, Descartes wonders if it is possible to be aware that what we are doing is actually reality. Through the regular deception of our senses (via mirages, misinterpretations, fallibility†¦) it is possible that we are deceived in ways that are outside of what we typically consider a deception. Descartes represents this metaphorically thorough the idea of a demon that has no other purpose then to deceive him in every way. He harkens to the notion that when we dream, we take what is appearing before us to be real. Furthermore, whatever you use to tell you are not dreaming could merely be part of the dream. This creates Descartes’ first argument. If one does not know that they are dreaming, they do not have anyShow MoreRelatedThe Enlightenment Paradigm Shift Within The Era1628 Words   |  7 PagesThe Enlightenment Paradigm Shift The Enlightenment era, between the 1500s and 1800s was a predominately intellectual movement that saw the development of new ideas, major changes in Church-State relations and scientific discoveries that are still fundamental today. Until the Renaissance and Reformation period the Church, from the ancient to medieval ages, had total domination. The Renaissance era set the ball rolling for the Enlightenment with the beginning of scientific inquiry and search forRead MoreThe Importance of Religion for Two Paradigms: Science and Natural Philosophy700 Words   |  3 Pages Importance of Religion for Two Paradigms: Science and Natural Philosophy Since the beginning of the intellectual development of mankind, the question of whether there is god or not has been a question that still remains. However, its effects on our way of thinking has been shaped by a number of people, thinkers, priests, scientists so on and so forth. If we were to divide that continuum into two parts, they would be before the enlightenment and after the enlightenment. Namely the times of naturalRead MoreThe Discourse On Method A Foundationalist One2142 Words   |  9 Pages(1) In what sense is Descartes’ project in the Discourse on Method a foundationalist one? By Serena Lipscomb The 17th Century was a transmute turning point in the West; the scientific revolution would occur, freedom of the individual would become established whilst an old world-view would be rejected to favour a new, very different world-view which would innovate our existence. Foundationalism would be established as an important way of beginning new theories and experiments in rational as wellRead MoreEssay on The Enlightenment1246 Words   |  5 PagesWestern civilization cannot be neatly divided into precise linear sections. Instead, it must be viewed as a series of developing threads that combine, interact, and, at various intervals, take pervasive shifts. The Enlightenment of the eighteenth century was one of these paradigm historical shifts, challenging the traditional notions of authority by investing reason with the power to change the human condition for the better. This ecumenical emphasis on reason and independent thought led to an explosionRead MoreAnalysis Of Know Thyself 14 99 Words   |  6 Pagesalways been seen as the fulcrum of the western philosophical tradition. Questions of subjectivity, the self and personal identity continue within the contemporary philosophical discourse to this day. It still remains a key factor connecting western and eastern philosophy and modern with ancient philosophy. When Sartre takes up the question in Transcendence of the Ego, it marks a fundamental shift in the western philosophical tradition. Beginning with Descartes, and continuing up to Kant and Husserl, theRead MoreDiscourse on Method Essay example3627 Words   |  15 PagesWhat are you going to do today? (1992: 18, cited in Ulmer 84). Ulmer sees his work as a response, in 1992, to this call for invention. Ulmers text also presents itself as providing a method for the contemporary paradigm (12) of poststructuralism comparable to the method Descartes provided for an emergent scientific rationalism. He is quick, however, to qualify this project for any attempt at a postmodernist method is contradictory (an impossible possibility) (25). In one of the most suggestiveRead MoreLanguage and the Destiny of Man12402 Words   |  50 PagesÅžtefan Afloroaei / Descartes and the â€Å"metaphysical dualism† Descartes and the â€Å"metaphysical dualism†: Excesses in interpreting a classic* Al.I. Cuza University of Iasi Abstract The article focuses on one of the most serious accusations brought against Descartes and modern philosophy, namely â€Å"the dualism of substance†. The accusers claim that the human body and soul were viewed as completely separate; consequently, their relationship as such and the united being of man become incomprehensible. AsRead MoreChapter One : Theoretical Framework Essay6065 Words   |  25 Pagescalling it the learner-centered approach. We will divide this chapter into two related sections. First part provides a cursory review about the learner-centered approach believing that it is the most suitable and fertile ground to cultivate critical thinking. We start by defining the concept of the learner-centered approach and its historical background. Then, we display the characteristics such an approach carries. These characteristics are seen from different angles; the nature of learning, the teacher’sRead MoreSchool Of Immunity And Infection7583 Words   |  31 Pagesquite an engaging teacher and a good communicator. As an actively practicing scientist my main interest when teaching is to engage the students in the act of science and scientific thinking and guide them through the material in an actively-participatory fashion, so as to allow them to build their independent thinking and problem solving skills. In my view, if our goals (here I more narrowly envision the School of Medical Sciences and the School of Biosciences with which I interact directly) areRead MoreImpact of Science on Society38421 Words   |  154 PagesThe Legacy of Science The cognitive model-or to give it a better name, the paradigmcontrols all decisions. If you believe the cosmos is made up of omelette, you build instruments specifically designed t o find traces of intergalactic yolk. In that paradigm you reject phenomena like pulsars and black holes as paranormal garbage. In an omelette cosmos, the beginning of the universe becomes a chicken and egg problem, doesn’t it? Now, this definition of terms (like omelette universe) happens all the time