Chris asks…

What kind of problems does descartes encounter in his meditations on first philosophy?

What kind of problems does descartes encounter in his meditations on his account of what the essence of mind and body. This question is part of an essay, and is referring to critisms of his ideas, such as interaction, mentalese, and solopsism.

BrainSpeak answers:

He is proving the existence of I
Yet his very 1st sentence ASSUMES the I

he should have said, thought exists.

John asks…

Rene Descartes and Meditations on First Philosophy?

I know that Rene Descartes wrote about six different meditations but it’s really hard for me to understand each one. Can someone please explain the six and his purpose in writing this novel in a easy to understand context? Thanks!

BrainSpeak answers:

Read the “front matter” written by Descartes himself. He answers your questions there.

On his purpose in writing it, I hope your edition includes the letter of dedication, because that’s what it explains. There’s also a preface, which is largely concerned with describing the objections raised to his philosophical positions in response to the earlier “Discourse on Method.”

The next portion is, in fact, a synopsis of the six meditations. (By “meditation” he means a particular train of thought, addressing specific issues.)

In the translation I have, the synopsis takes all of four pages.

Linda asks…

Where can I find an in-depth analysis of Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy?

I don’t care how long it is or anything like that. I just want to understand the arguments he makes in meditations 1, 2, and 4 backwards and forwards. Thanks!

BrainSpeak answers:

Try this:

http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/meditations

or you could buy this book, that I really like:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Descartes-Meditations-Readers-Guide-Guides/dp/0826492843

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Tags: , , , ,

Filed under: News

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!