Cogito ergo sum - Rene Descartes (1596 - 1650)

Cogito ergo sum - Rene Descartes (1596 - 1650)

1. What do you know about yourself?

   • Do you even exist? How do you know?
     • If you can't be sure of this how can you be sure of anything?
       • But we know when we are not dreaming, we can check things

2. Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

   • If all you did was watch and listen to others you could never have your own ideas
     • Completely possible to leave school as an accomplished parrot
       • Everything he did is described as cartesian
         • He studdied: maths, physics, biology, psycology

3. Tried to answer the question "How do we know things?"

   • To completely focus on his work he isolated himself and worked alone in Holland
     • Had to overcome both people and the church to answer the question

4. Francis Bacon (English) said "Nothing can be known" not through the church or through science

5. All information gained through the senses is interpreted by your brain - therefore it's not reliable

   • Is there anything that we are certain of? Surely maths is the same even in a dream
     • Is maths the foundation of knowledge?
       • No, there is still room to be deceived. Descartes concluded there was nothing he was certain of
         • Realised even if the thoughts were wrong he was definitely having them. lead him to say "I think therefore I am"

6. He finds in his mind ideas of perfection, infinity and justice although he's never experienced it

   • Then how can her experience these perfect images?
     • God has left a signature of his nature on everyone's mind
       • He was certain of this as proof God exists

7. God must therefore be the foundation of knowledge

   • God wouldn't want us to be deceived as he cares for our intellectual welfare
     • Therefore as we are sure God exists we know other things must be true