Overview
This lecture introduces René Descartes, the historical and intellectual context of his "Meditations," and focuses on the central arguments of the First Meditation, particularly his method of radical doubt.
Historical and Intellectual Context
- Descartes wrote during a period when the Catholic Church's authority was being challenged by the Protestant Reformation and scientific advances.
- The Dedication of the Meditations is addressed to the priests at the Sorbonne, seeking their approval and aligning his work with Church interests.
- In the Preface, Descartes addresses a broader intellectual audience and adopts a more confident tone.
- Descartes' main objective is to reconcile scientific and mathematical inquiry with religious doctrine, especially by proving the existence of God and the soul.
Descartes' Background and Motivations
- Descartes was primarily a mathematician (notably the Cartesian plane) and a scientist, only thirdly a philosopher.
- He aims to ground scientific and mathematical knowledge in a metaphysics acceptable to the Church, rooting such knowledge in the soul.
The Method of Radical Doubt (First Meditation)
- Descartes decides to "tear down" all his previous beliefs and rebuild knowledge from secure foundations.
- Instead of doubting each belief individually, he targets the foundational sources of knowledge.
Doubting the Senses
- The senses are unreliable because they have deceived us in the past (e.g., optical illusions).
- Any knowledge derived from the senses is therefore open to doubt.
Doubting the Imagination and Dreams
- The imagination constructs composites (like mythological creatures) from real things, blurring the line between reality and dreams.
- Sciences that rely on composites (physics, astronomy, medicine) are also subject to doubt.
- Despite this, certain basic truths (like arithmetic and geometry) seem indubitable, whether awake or dreaming.
The Role of God and the Evil Deceiver
- Descartes wonders whether a benevolent God would allow deception, concluding that doubt is still justified.
- He introduces the idea of a powerful "evil spirit" or "Great Deceiver" who could be responsible for systematic deception.
- By the end of Meditation I, all knowledge—except possibly arithmetic, geometry, and God—has been called into radical doubt.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Radical Doubt — The process of doubting all beliefs to determine which can be known with certainty.
- Meditation — A philosophical exercise aimed at discovering foundational truths.
- Composite Object — An imagined or real object constructed from simpler parts.
- Faculty of Imagination — The mental ability to form images and ideas not present to the senses.
- Great Deceiver — Hypothetical being used by Descartes to illustrate the possibility of universal deception.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Read the Dedication, Preface, and First Meditation of Descartes' "Meditations."
- Reflect on examples where your senses or imagination have deceived you.
- Prepare to read Meditation Two for discussion of the fundamental building blocks of reality.