Montaigne and Descartes on Doubting - 1571 Words

Diane Ihlenfeldt March 4, 2004 Philosophy 110 Montaigne and Descartes Montaigne and Descartes both made use of a philosophical method that focused on the use of doubt to make discoveries about themselves and the world around them. However, they doubted different things. Descartes doubted all his previous knowledge from his senses, while Montaigne doubted that there were any absolute certainties in knowledge. Although they both began their philosophical processes by doubting, Montaigne doubting a constant static self, and Descartes doubted that anything existed at all, Descartes was able to move past that doubt to find one indubitably certainty, I think, therefore I am. How often do we question what is real or true? Descartes†¦show more content†¦Descartes eventually managed to prove the existence of a higher being. He said that since he had the idea of a perfect being, then that perfect being must exist. His reasoning was that he, Descartes, was an imperfect being and that an imperfect being could not come up wit h the concept of a perfect being without that perfect being actually existing and giving Descartes that idea. Descartes still had to deal with many doubts. The doubt of foremost importance was the doubting of his senses, and the doubt of whether or not his body actually existed. Descartes decided that since this God was a perfect being, it must then also be a compassionate being and would not give Descartes senses and then use those senses to trick him into using those senses to determine knowledge that was not in fact true. Descartes and Montaigne did not agree in the ways in which they doubted. Descartes doubted about the existence of all knowledge, but believed that there were certainties to be found within that group of doubtable knowledge. Descartes focused on the fact that there must be at least one certainty in the world, but began this search for this certainty by methodically doubting everything that he already knew as knowledge. Montaigne decided that nothing wa s certain, regardless of how many times it was tested, because everything was constantly changing. Montaigne believedShow MoreRelated montaigne and descartes on doubting Essay example1560 Words   |  7 PagesMontaigne and Descartes nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Montaigne and Descartes both made use of a philosophical method that focused on the use of doubt to make discoveries about themselves and the world around them. However, they doubted different things. Descartes doubted all his previous knowledge from his senses, while Montaigne doubted that there were any absolute certainties in knowledge. Although they both began their philosophical processes by doubting, Montaigne doubting a constant staticRead MoreGod Is Truth Essay1409 Words   |  6 PagesMontaigne, Descartes, and Pascal all believe in a superlative truth unforeseeable through the commonly held truth of society. Montaigne states that even contradictions are not contradictions in truth (Montaigne, p.75). Not believing in the possibility of this lack contradiction in truth would be considered scepticism - scepticism being the reluctance to believe anything for any reason. This same scepticism is explained by Descartes as a self-disproving falsity by hi s quotation I think, thereforeRead More How Descartes Tries to Extricate Himself from the Skeptical Doubts He Has Raised4647 Words   |  19 PagesHow Descartes Tries to Extricate Himself from the Skeptical Doubts He Has Raised [All page references and quotations from the Meditations are taken from the 1995 Everyman edition] In the Meditations, Descartes embarks upon what Bernard Williams has called the project of Pure Enquiry to discover certain, indubitable foundations for knowledge. By subjecting everything to doubt Descartes hoped to discover whatever was immune to it. In order to best understand how and why Descartes

AP Response Free Essays

This story, in all honesty, did not entertain me or stimulate intriguing thoughts. I felt like the author gave a lot of his time to describe the scene and the appearance of characters that there was nothing really going on. I spent most of my time while reading trying to figure out or thinking what certain things looked like rather than anticipating what may be happening next. We will write a custom essay sample on AP Response or any similar topic only for you Order Now Overall this story did not engage me nor hold my interest. I did on the other hand find the way Sammy’s attitude to toward the girls rather baffling because here are these three girls, two of which he mentions are overweight and not on the attractive side, and then â€Å"Queenie† whom he points out is too pale but yet in a sense â€Å"eye candy†. It was strange how he felt a pull towards them as soon as he noticed them and felt the need to quit his job and become their self proclaimed hero. Was he just as strange or just someone who really needs the attention? Sammy meets the need of one’s standards that may be classified as a normal and average teenage boy. He works, is easily distracted, and has a keen interest in girls. With Sammy’s vernacular and his actions he comes off as awkward by the time the story ends. He describes the girls the best way he knows how but uses a lot of similes and metaphors instead of just stating what one of their skin looks likes or what her body looks like. And when he describes the shoppers he makes them seem like they are suffering from oppression. As if they are they because they have to be just like he is there because he has no choice. And when something goes wrong or something out of the ordinary happens, like him quitting, they seem lost at what to do next. Just like the customers/shoppers when Sammy said â€Å"I quit†, he was not expecting it and was lost himself. And because he decided to quit out of nowhere to be an uncertified hero for these girls that he may possibly never see again, he knows he more than likely cannot get his job back and without that job, how is he suppose to survive out in the world with no money? I think the story endorses personal values. And the value of appearance is highly criticized because Sammy talks about how unattractive two out of three of the girls are based off his opinion which does not matter to these girls who may value their appearance and feel comfortable in every aspect of their bodies. Sammy’s actions to quit his job were stupid. He did not need to quit his job and try to be a hero to get their attention. He could of stood up for them without using â€Å"I quit† especially after the girls already make their way to the door and possibly unaware of what he is doing for them. In a way he came off as someone who needs to make a scene to be heard instead of just speaking with assertiveness. In a way this story has no point. It is a great example of realistic fiction. With the way certain descriptions laid out how the store may and even Sammy’s uniform may look. It was believable. How to cite AP Response, Papers

Flannery OConner Essay Example For Students

Flannery OConner Essay 1.I have heard a great deal about my father, tales of extreme hubris and smugness were always mixed with those of noble and humble intentions. He seemed to exemplify at times the focus of this essay on pride by Frazier. 2.Men, more so than women in my experience, seem to be guilty of: not stopping for directions, attempting to fix things about the house with little or no knowledge of them, zoning out in front of the television, commonly being afflicted with hubris, this is the main weakness of males. 3.The difference between pride and stupidity will be decidedly luck. 4.When does pride become stupidity? Describe the line. 5.What can a person do to try curbing this appetite for taking pride min things of little or no value?6.The knowledge of kid Icarus is somewhat vital in understanding the other analogies in this essay, for they are all basically the same. 7.The line between love, bravery, pride and being funny is a fine one and only luck keeps us on the right side. C.Summarize-In life we often times try to take on what we do not understand in hopes that pride and luck will carry us through. Things that seem half-brained any other time become amazingly good ideas under the influence of pride. Frazier demonstrates this beautifully. Pride is what we see as one of the worst attributes to have in yourself. Yet, sometimes it is the driving force of great acts that take place. The game is hit and miss at best. D.Imitate-Ive looked at it from many angles, wondering how the feat was managed, admiring the mountaineering skill it took, and in the process noticing the architecture of this estimable old building much more closely than I ever would have otherwise. I have gazed down upon it from many viewpoints, pondering why this had been performed, noticing the performance skill required, and in the process admiring the octave scale of this newer piece of music much more closely than I would have otherwise. E. Rhetoric- The language in this essay is simple and downplayed form many of the other essays I have read in this book. It was quite refreshing to read words so plain and true about a topic that affects everyone in the world (mostly men). Pride was funny in its frankness and delectably simple. A mere 1 pages long this essay said what it needed to in the easiest words possible and got out. Frazier seemed to follow Carvers advice on writing essays and short stories.