Montaigne, Descartes, & Pascal-LH 11-12. FL 13-14, HWT 14-15 MEETING TODAY for Library instruction in LIB 264a
1. What state of mind, belief, or knowledge was Descartes' Method of Doubt supposed to establish? OR, What did Descartes seek that Pyrrho spurned? Was his approach more sensible than Pyrrho's? Do you think it's possible to achieve the state of mind Descartes sought?
2. Did Descartes claim to know (at the outset of his "meditations") that he was not dreaming? Do you ever think you might be?
3. What strange and mythic specter did Gilbert Ryle compare to Descartes' dualism of mind and body? ("The ____ in the ______.") Does that specter seem strange or silly to you?
4. Pascal's best-known book is _____. Do you like his aphoristic style?
5. Pascal's argument for believing in God is called ________. Do you find it persuasive or appealing?
6. Pascal thought if you gamble on God and lose, "you lose ______." Do you agree?
7. (T/F) By limiting his "wager" to a choice between either Christian theism or atheism, says Nigel Warburton, Pascal excludes too many other possible bets. Is that right?
2. Did Descartes claim to know (at the outset of his "meditations") that he was not dreaming? Do you ever think you might be?
3. What strange and mythic specter did Gilbert Ryle compare to Descartes' dualism of mind and body? ("The ____ in the ______.") Does that specter seem strange or silly to you?
4. Pascal's best-known book is _____. Do you like his aphoristic style?
5. Pascal's argument for believing in God is called ________. Do you find it persuasive or appealing?
6. Pascal thought if you gamble on God and lose, "you lose ______." Do you agree?
7. (T/F) By limiting his "wager" to a choice between either Christian theism or atheism, says Nigel Warburton, Pascal excludes too many other possible bets. Is that right?
(See Montaigne questions below*)
HWT
1. What familiar western distinction is not commonly drawn in Islamic thought?
2. According to Sankara, the appearance of plurality is misleading. Everything is ____.
3. The Islamic concept of unity rules out what key western Enlightenment value, and offers little prospect of adopting modern views on what?
4. What Calvinist-sounding doctrine features heavily in Islamic thought?
5. What deep philosophical assumption, expressed by what phrase, has informed western philosophy for centuries? To what concept did Harry Frankfurt apply it?
* BONUS QUESTIONSAlso recommended: (How to Live, ch1); LISTEN Sarah Bakewell on Michel de Montaigne (PB); A.C. Grayling on Descartes' Cogito (PB); WATCH Montaigne(SoL); Descartes (HI)
- Sarah Bakewell says Montaigne's first answer to the question "How to live?" is: "Don't worry about _____."
- What was Montaigne's "near death experience," and what did it teach him?
- Montaigne said "my mind will not budge unless _____."
- What pragmatic American philosopher was Descartes' "most practical critic"?
- (T/F) A.C. Grayling thinks that, because Descartes was so wrong about consciousness and the mind-body problem, he cannot be considered a historically-important philosopher.
- What skeptical slogan did Montaigne inscribe on the ceiling of his study?
FL
1. Conspiratorial explanations attempt to make what kinds of connections?
2. What was the Freemasons' grand secret, according to Franklin?
3. What conspiracy did Abe Lincoln allege in his famous "House Divided" speech in 1858?
4. Why did many northerners think the Civil War went badly for them early on?
5. What did the narrator of a popular 1832 work of fiction say about the slaves?
John Wright #12
ReplyDeleteLH
1: Skepticism, but a more reasonable and rational view of skepticism than Pyrro. If there is any doubt that something is not as it seems, then Descartes thought that you should not believe it. I do think that this is a possible state of mind. If at any point something is not as it seems, then the most rational option is that you should question it and not believe it.
3: The ghost in the machine. It doesn’t seem entirely silly, but it also doesn’t really make perfect sense.
4: Pensees. No. There are too many assumptions in his argument that are overlooked as true. Such as the Christian god is the right god to believe in to get to heaven.
6: Nothing. This would depend if you actually had faith in God or are just wagering on God existing. If you truly have faith, then you would not have lost anything. You would have enjoyed the time spent in church with other followers and would have enjoyed following the path of christ. However, if you were just following the beliefs to avoid an eternity in Hell then you would have lost out on experiences that you wanted to enjoy but did not because you thought you were going to spend an eternity in Hell.
1. Descartes method was established in an effort for Descartes to live in absolute certainty in his surroundings. His approach was much more sensible in the idea that he didn't spend his time pondering certain facts, he accepted that there are general things that are simply true. I believe a version of it is, however it will always be possible that you have certain doubts in your mind.
ReplyDelete2. He never mentions clearly that he believes he is not dreaming. I am sometimes curious as to if this is all a large illusion but I put that thought to rest fairly quickly.
3. The ghost in the machine. I don't find it silly, I believe the point he is trying to make is mostly valid.
4. Pensees, I like to follow a continuous storyline when reading so I don't think it would be for me.
5. Jansenism. While it seems appealing, it seems somewhat confusing as well.
6. If you gamble on god and lose, you then lose nothing, but if you win you win everything. I do agree and really enjoy this outlook on life, almost seems as a "why not" or "what is the worst that could happen" type of argument.
7. I think it is true but his idea is right in general, if expanded from just christianity.
Pensees was Pascal’s book. I don’t think I would like the choppiness of it were i to read it. Laney #11
ReplyDeleteThough common in western philosophy, Islamic philosophy does not have a distinction between what is sacred and what is secular. They believe in unity.
DeleteKharis Djao #12
Delete1. Inquisitive minds such as Descartes are in a continuous pursuit of truth, or at least a good foundation for truth. In my opinion, Descartes' Method of Doubt was supposed to establish a sense of clarity or certainty about our experience as living beings. Contrary to Pyrrho, Descartes realized that it would be very difficult to go through life questioning everything so he took on the task to find some undeniable truth about our collective experience as humans. I believe that this approach is more sensible than Pyrrho's. I do think it is possible to achieve the state of mind Descartes sought to a certain extent, some things are just impossible to know without any doubts.
2. Descartes did not claim to know that he wasn't dreaming but he believed that the world exists and that it is more or less how it appears. I sometimes ponder on the idea that we are all in a collective dream when I hear of phenomenons such as false awakenings.
3. Gilbert Ryle compares Descartes' dualism of mind and body to The ghost in the machine specter. This idea does not seem strange or silly to me. Real machines we use everyday use software to function. I believe that we as humans have an intangible "software" in our bodies that help us function.
Kharis Djao #12
ReplyDelete1. Inquisitive minds such as Descartes are in a continuous pursuit of truth, or at least a good foundation for truth. In my opinion, Descartes' Method of Doubt was supposed to establish a sense of clarity or certainty about our experience as living beings. Contrary to Pyrrho, Descartes realized that it would be very difficult to go through life questioning everything so he took on the task to find some undeniable truth about our collective experience as humans. I believe that this approach is more sensible than Pyrrho's. I do think it is possible to achieve the state of mind Descartes sought to a certain extent, some things are just impossible to know without any doubts.
2. Descartes did not claim to know that he wasn't dreaming but he believed that the world exists and that it is more or less how it appears. I sometimes ponder on the idea that we are all in a collective dream when I hear of phenomenons such as false awakenings.
3. Gilbert Ryle compares Descartes' dualism of mind and body to The ghost in the machine specter. This idea does not seem strange or silly to me. Real machines we use everyday use software to function. I believe that we as humans have an intangible "software" in our bodies that help us function.
Hi Kharis! Like you sometimes I wonder if all if this is fake like we are all in a simulation somehow! I think the idea of false awakenings is super interesting!- Chloe #7
ReplyDeleteChloe Rush #7
ReplyDeleteLH-
1. I believe that Descartes' Method of doubt was supposed to establish uncertainty and to doubt everything. I don't really think it's possible to achieve this state of mind to the extent that Descartes intended.
2. He does not mention that he wasn't dreaming. Sometimes I also believe that we are all in a dream-like state.
3. He describes it as " the ghost in the machine". This idea doesn't seem too entirely far fetched to me.
Descartes' thoughts about the truth of reality really fascinated me. I think that his thought process is extremely intriguing. The way he says that if we do not know fully something is true, to accept the fact that it isn't true. I also like the way he thinks about the mind being separate from the body, and how we could just be brains in a jar, that is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteWhile Pascal's outlook on humanity is bleak, his way of thinking is also pretty fascinating. His best known book was Pensees (or Thoughts). I do not agree with his belief of predestination. I believe that just because God is all knowing, and therefore knows what choices we will make, does not mean that He Himself decided who is going to make it into heaven. It is our own actions (though being Christian is far more that good works) that decide where we go.
M Hodges section #7
DeleteDescartes emphasized the importance of that truth should be constantly sought after. Additionally, he found it important to establish foundational truths for ourselves while that may differ from person to person, while general truths for the public may also coexist. -sophia williams section 7
ReplyDeleteLH
ReplyDelete1. Descartes tried to find an undeniable truth that all humans experienced so that he could know if we all experienced similar things, I think this is much more reasonable that Pyrrho
HWT
3. The concept of Unity denies the western idea that we all percieve things differently, so that wht is true to one person could be untrue to another
1. What state of mind, belief, or knowledge was Descartes' Method of Doubt supposed to establish? OR, What did Descartes seek that Pyrrho spurned? Was his approach more sensible than Pyrrho's? Do you think it's possible to achieve the state of mind Descartes sought?
ReplyDeleteDescartes practiced skepticism. However, his approach was not near as intense as Pyrrho’s. Descartes had a much more sensible approach to it. He understood that you can’t go through life constantly questioning everything. He trusted some things, but questioned everything else.
2. Did Descartes claim to know (at the outset of his "meditations") that he was not dreaming? Do you ever think you might be?
He never claimed to know that he was not dreaming. In my daily life, I do not typically sit and wonder if everything is a dream.
3. What strange and mythic specter did Gilbert Ryle compare to Descartes' dualism of mind and body? ("The ____ in the ______.") Does that specter seem strange or silly to you?
The ghost in the machine. I personally do not think that it is silly. It is not that willy to me to think that we have soul that inhabits are body and can produce effects.
4. Pascal's best-known book is _____. Do you like his aphoristic style?
His best-known book is the Pensées. I think the style of it is interesting. I don’t love how it does not exactly piece together well, but the main point is still clear.
5. Pascal's argument for believing in God is called ________. Do you find it persuasive or appealing?
His argument is known as Pascal’s Wager. It makes sense to me because I have actually been taught this when I was younger through Sunday school.
6. Pascal thought if you gamble on God and lose, "you lose ______." Do you agree?
He thought that you would lose nothing. I agree. You do not spend your life making any big sacrifices if you believe in God. If he does not exist, you will not be aware you spent your life believing in something that does not exist because this means there is not an afterlife.
7. (T/F) By limiting his "wager" to a choice between either Christian theism or atheism, says Nigel Warburton, Pascal excludes too many other possible bets. Is that right?
True because there are other religions and he inly focuses on Christianity.
#11
ReplyDeleteLH 6. Pascal thought you would lose nothing. I agree that in the general Christian sense, you would lose nothing in the afterlife, but I believe that if there was any consciousness after death, you could feel that you wasted your time while alive.
HTW 2. "Brahman is everything"
FL 2. They don't have a secret at all.
Leah Knight
ReplyDelete#12
LH
4. Pascal's book Pensées (thoughts) was his best-known book. Personally, I do not like his style in this book; I would have appreciated a more thought out explanation to his ideas.
5. Pascal's argument of God is called Pascal's Wager. I do not completely agree with living as if there is a God if you are on the fence. I could see the appeal as it could ease your anxiety about the afterlife. However, for those who truly are on the fence about if there us a God, which God(s) are we to assume is real?
Kayla Pulling #7
ReplyDeleteFL 4. Most of the battling happened on southern soil, so many northerners thought they southerners had a better advantage.
FL 3. Lincoln charged that Douglas was planning to create a constitution for Kansas without letting the people of Kansas vote for the Constitution.