Introduction
The following essay defines and summarizes the four theories of truth; that is the coherence, correspondence, pragmatic, and semantic theory. At the same time, it tries to find out the argument that has more strength or problems/critics, supporting it with reasons and facts. Again, it discusses the concept of dualism by Rene Descartes; that is both substance and Cartesian Mind-body dualisms, where it point outs critics or problems associated with Descartes proposition. In the last part, it discusses the theory of John Locke’s about the personal identity based on memories and the past experiences, and identify the difficulties connected with the notion.
Part A
In a typical setting, defining the truth is surprisingly harder than
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Two scholars, Thomas Reid and Joseph Butler, posed a similar objection regarding the personal identity theory where they affirmed that he confused evidence/experience of something with the thing itself. According to Bulter, consciousness presumes identity, which means, it cannot institute or create it (Solomon et al. 312). That is, individuals, recall experiences because it is theirs, but also, they rely on their capabilities to remember them. Therefore, Locke’s logic seems to be absurd and contradicting when put to a practical …show more content…
It means, there is no standard explanation of the truth. In his opinion, Rene Descartes' theory of dualism brings about the separation of the body (matter) and the mind, but in a typical situation, a reasonable person will disagree. Furthermore, scientists could have conducted adequate research to affirm the claim, but no one who has focused on that. Finally, the aspect of John Locke where he connects individual’s memory with experience bears some truth, but he could have argued that part (but not all) of people’s minds are as a result of past
1.) What does it mean to say that Descartes was a dualist and an interactionist? According to Descartes, How did humans differ from animals? To say that Descartes was a dualist is to say that he believed the mind and body are two separate and distinguishable essences. The immaterial mind and the material body although separate, causally interact.
In the sixth meditation, Descartes postulates that there exists a fundamental difference in the natures of both mind and body which necessitates that they be considered as separate and distinct entities, rather than one stemming from the other or vice versa. This essay will endeavour to provide a critical objection to Descartes’ conception of the nature of mind and body and will then further commit to elucidating a suitably Cartesian-esque response to the same objection. (Descartes,1641) In the sixth meditation Descartes approaches this point of dualism between mind and matter, which would become a famous axiom in his body of philosophical work, in numerous ways. To wit Descartes postulates that he has clear and distinct perceptions of both
This study will make a short sketch about how these two thinkers grasp the individuation and rationalization of the body in their works, giving an analysis about where
In the Second Meditation, what is the Cogito, and what does it tell me for certain about my own existence? What is strongest and what is weakest in Descartes’ account? The second meditation is based on the connection between a conscious and an existing body. Descartes has one main problem that he wishes to solve “How can he be sure that any of his beliefs are true?”
These ideas were expressed in his “Tabula Rasa Theory of Human Behavior”. In his writing, Locke says,”Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas—How comes it to be furnished? Whence comes it by that vast store which the busy and boundless fancy of man has painted on it with an almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience.”
In this paper, I will look at and criticize John Locke’s account of Personal Identity as well as put forward arguments of my own of what I consider to be the unreliability of that which Locke terms as consciousness in relation to and as a composition of ‘Personal Identity’. Before we can arrive at a discussion of consciousness it is essential to follow Locke’s thought process and see how he arrived at a differentiation between substance, person, self (an alternate term for person used in the latter half of the chapter) and consciousness. It is essential to realize that for Locke personal identity consists in the identity of consciousness. We know this because he says as much in the following passage: “[T]he same consciousness being preserv’d…the
Methods of Rationalism by Plato and Descartes Philosophy has had an impact on mankind for thousands of years. This topic attempts to answer questions about the everyday world, and how things are the way they are. In Philosophy, there are many different topics that are discussed. These topics include Epistemology, Ontology, Ethics, Political and Social Philosophy, Aesthetics, Logic, and more. The topic that will be discussed in this paper is Epistemology, or the study of knowledge.
Furthermore, an understanding of a concept can already mean its existence in the mind, and does not require a certain definition that has to be mutually shared by everyone. By addressing these main problems with Anselm’s argument, Gaunilo has ultimately been successful in his
He has three fundamental arguments; 1. He rejects both the physical and soul theories of the self. 2. He asserts that personal identity is not what matters for the survival of the self. 3.
The argument of whether or not a human has a soul has been argued throughout centuries. Derek Parfit discusses two separate theories of personal identity, Ego Theory and Bundle Theory. The argument of which present a more accurate account of personhood is very hard to determine. The Ego Theory has some flaws such the soul is separate from the body and is a immaterialist object within us. Bundle Theory is reinforced and proven by the split-brain case, however it can lead to the argument that there is no self.
In contrast, Locke believes, that knowledge can only have a high degree of certainty but cannot be certain. Since he does not focus much on certainty in his works, he believes that perception can play a major part in the process of knowledge. He further reiterates that knowledge is based on observations and senses. According to his him, ideas come from reflection and sensation while knowledge is founded on experience In summary, I have covered the respective positions and views that both Locke and Descartes hold in respect with self-identity and consciousness.
Locke also asserted that humans are blank states at birth. According to him, “All ideas come from sensation or reflection. Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas” (Locke, 1690, p. 96). However, Baillargeon’s research described earlier in the paper showed that infants possess certain knowledge from birth, such as the principle of persistence. Also, Locke’s claim fell into contradiction later in his paper.
Historically, philosophers and scholars have been known to argue and disagree about the most trivial matters because of the prejudices and biases towards the subject matter. Descartes popularized the methodological doubt because he realized that throughout his life he had acquired and maintained certain opinions and beliefs that he later discovered were false. Methodological doubt was a process that sought to attain the truth that was beyond dispute or was doubted by human beings and his fellow philosophers. Therefore, the methodic doubt was an approach to knowledge that would filter and sift through all the beliefs and opinions that people had and categorize then to create indubitably true knowledge. It was important in establishing a firm foundation of unchanging facts and knowledge from which people could base or dispute the knowledge, beliefs, and information they had amerced in their lifetimes.
It embodies the insight that there is a serious muddle at the centre of the whole of Descartes theory of knowledge. He says that we do not hold a clear idea of the mind to make out much. ‘He thinks that although we have knowledge through the idea of body, we know the mind “only through consciousness, and because of this, our knowledge of it is imperfect” (3–2.7, OCM 1:451; LO 237). Knowledge through ideas is superior because it involves direct access to the “blueprints” for creation in the divine understanding, whereas in consciousness we are employing our own weak cognitive resources that
Are persons essentially persons? Personal identity is a much-disputed debate within metaphysics and is still a cause of concern for many philosophers because it raises questions about what we essentially are and what being a person, persisting from one day to the next, necessarily consists of. In this essay I discuss the very influential view from Locke, who argues that persons are essentially persons. He concludes that personal identity is a matter of psychological continuity.