Meditation II Homework

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Exercise 2.1
Label each of the following statements consistent(C) or inconsistent(I) with idea Descartes presents in the first two paragraphs of Meditation II.
1. There is a way to defeat the evil demon.
2. The doubts from Meditation I remain.
3. The only certainty may be that there us no certainty.
4. Concepts that can be partially doubted should be treated different from concepts that can be entirely doubted.
5. Descartes, unlike Archimedes, will need to find more than one indubitalbe truth.

Exercise 2.2
Label each of the following statements consistent(C) or inconsistent(I) with idea Descartes presents in the paragraphs 3 of Meditation II.
1. If Descartes denies that he has senses and a body, then he can't prove that he exists.
2. Descartes proves that God exists.
3. The deceiver could not deceive Descartes into believing he, Descartes, does not exist.
4. Even if there is no physical world, it does not follow that Descartes' minf does not exist.
5. Descartes prove that he exist.

Exercise 2.3
Number the following ideas in the order in which Descartes introduces them in Meditation II.
a. He examines the wax with his sense.
b. He knows for certain that he exists.
c. He notes that his mind, rather than his senses, understands the wax clearly.
d. He assumes that he knows nothing for certain.
e. He realizes that his imagination cannot make an accurate mental picture of all the possible shapes that the wax could take.
f. He is a thinking thing.

Exercise 2.4
One benefit studying Descartes is learning how to reason more effectively. He often uses example to make a point. Briefly answer the questions that follow each of Descartes' example.
1. "Archimedes required only one fixed and immovable point to more the whole earth from its place, and I too can hope for great things if I can find even one small thing that is certain and unshakable."
a. Archimedes is being compared to?
b. "One fixed and immovable point" is being compared to ?
c. Moving "the whole earth from its place" is being compared to?
d. The point of this analogy is?

2."Let's consider hte things commonly taken to be the most distinctly comprehended: physical objects that we see and touch. Let's not consider physical objects in general, since general conceptions are very often confused. Rather, let's consider one particular object. Take, for example, this piece of wax."
a. "distinctly comprehended" means?
b. An example of a "general conception" might be?
c. The goal in examining the wax is to find out about what?
d. The wax is an example of what?

3."But, if I happen to look out my window and see man walking in the street, I naturally say that I see the men just as I say that I see the wax. What do I really see, however, but hats and coats that could be covering robots? I judge that there are men. Thus I comprehend with my judgement, which is in my mind, obejcts that I once believed myself to see with my eyes."
a. The error Descartes believes he makes when he says he "see" the men and the wax is?
b. What is the purpose of mentioning "robot"?
c. What general point is Descartes making about his senses?
d. What general point is Descartes making about judgment?
e. What causes errors of the type described in this example?
f. What does the last sentence conclude?
g. What evidence is offered for the conclusion in the last sentence?