2009年11月5日 星期四

Meditation II Homework

作業繳交期限為十一月十八號24:00之前 請交至文學院四樓助教胡映群信箱
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?

1 則留言:

  1. Meditation II Homework 496125021 哲學三 洪志豪
    Exercise 2.1:
    1.C 2.C 3.C 4.I 5.I
    Exercise 2.2:
    1.I 2.C 3.C 4.C 5.C
    Exercise 2.3:
    d > b > f > a > e > c
    Exercise 2.4:
    1a. Descartes
    1b. the foundation of knowledge – indubitable and certain knowledge
    1c. to reconstruct all of our human knowledge with certitude
    1d. Descartes hopes that he can find out some certainty as a mean to reconstruct all of our human knowledge with certitude
    2a. “definite and obviously known”
    2b. for all physical objects
    2c. to find out whether Descartes can apprehend physical objects more distinctly than knowing “I” (and his goal is to refute it).
    2d. Wax is an example of physical objects which all of its physical properties can be changed completely.
    3a. He mistakenly judges that he can know physical objects, the men and the wax, directly through his senses.
    3b. to give an example that senses doesn’t guarantee certainty, as a seeming human can actually be a robot
    3c. His senses cannot tell him clearly and perfectly what physical objects are.
    3d. His judgments about physical objects may be mistaken, but the judgments themselves imply that he exists.
    3e. The properties of physical objects can be changed completely, and mere senses cannot tell what the objects actually are (nor if they exist).
    3f. The judgment about objects, which concerns the physical properties of objects, through senses may be wrong but I still can comprehend objects through mental inspection or understanding.
    3g. The wax argument points out that physical properties of objects can be completely different but I still capable of knowing what the objects are.

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