Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

1. Rene Descartes (1596-1650) French Rationalist philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and writer who spent most of his adult life in Holland. M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

2. Rationalism / Empiricism M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

3. Basic Ideas of Descartes’ Philosophy • Biography / Bibliography • Method’s problem • Rules of method • Applying method: provisional morality. • Reality structure: dualism of substances • Anthropology • Other Rationalists: Leibniz, Spinoza, Malebranche http://www.fotolog.com M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

4. Biography. • 1596 : born at La Haye near Tours, France • 1606-14 He attends Jesuit College of La Fleche in Anjou, really good math teachers and he was a good talented math student. • 1616 Descartes takes doctor of law at University of Poitiers • 1618 He goes to Holland and joins the army of Prince Maurice of Nassau M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

5. 1619 He travels in Germany; on 10 November in Ulm has dream of a unified scientific system based on mathematics • 1622 He returns to France, during next few years spends time in Paris, but also travels in Europe • 1628 (or 29) He composes Rules for the Direction of Mind M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

6. 1628 Descartes distinguished himself in a confrontation with Chandoux, who claimed that all science is based on probability while Descartes claimed that only certainty could be the basis of human knowledge and that he had a method for attaining certainty. • 1628 Descartes leaves for Holland which is to be his home until 1649 M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

7. 1633 The condemnation of Galileo leads Descartes to abandon • 1635 The birth of Descartes daughter, named Francine • 1637 Descartes publishes Discourse on Method, with Optics, Meterology and the Geometry • 1642 Descartes meets Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

8. 1643 Cartesian philosophy condemned at the University of Utrecht • 1644 Visits France. • 1647 Descartes is awarded a pension by the King of France. • 1649 He goes to Sweden on invitation of Queen Christina; the Passions of the Soul published • 1650 11 February: dies in Stockholm M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

9. Bibliography • 1637Discourse on the Method • Rules for the Direction of the Mind • Dioptrique (the Optics) • Meteors (the Meteorology) • Le Monde (The World) • Traitede l'homme (Treatise on Man) • Meditations on First Philosophy • Principles of Philosophy • The Geometry • The Passions of the Soul • The Correspondence between Elisabeth, Princess of Bohemia and Descartes M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

10. Method’sProblem “Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has”. Discourse on Method “Common sense is the most fairly distributed thing in the world, for each one thinks he is so well-endowed with it that even those who are hardest to satisfy in all other matters are not in the habit of desiring more of it than they already have”. Discourse on Method M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

11. Method’s Problem • How do I know that what I know is truth? • How can I be sure of my knowledge? • After so many mistakes, which method (path) could be the most secure to obtain knowledge without the shadow of a doubt? http://breakiingdawn92.blogspot.com M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

12. Rules of the method • Accept as true only what is indubitable. EVIDENCE • Divide every question into manageable parts. ANALYSIS • Begin with the simplest issues and ascend to the more complex. SYNTHESIS • Review frequently enough to retain the whole argument at once. ENUMERATION M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

13. Appling the method: morality • Provisional Morality, a few rules • “The first was to obey the laws and customs of my country, holding constantly to the religion in which by God's grace I had been instructed from my childhood…. The second maxim was to be as firm and decisive in my actions as I could, and to follow even the most doubtful opinions, once I had adopted them, with no less constancy than if they had been quite certain…. My third maxim was to try always to master myself rather than fortune, and to change my desires rather than the order of the world…. Finally, to conclude this moral code… I thought I could do no better than to continue with the [occupation] I was engaged in, and to devote my whole life to cultivating my reason and advancing as far as I could in the knowledge of the truth, following the method I had prescribed for myself” (Discourse) M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

14. Applying method “Ifyouwouldbe a real seekeraftertruth, itisnecessarythat at least once in yourlifeyoudoubt, as far as possible, allthings”. R. Osborne and R. Edner, Philosophy for beginners. M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

15. Rationalism: Descartes’ Philosophy • If I am able to doubt, therefore it is not true. • Doubt as a method. M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

16. Mathematical axioms: not true. • Internal brain information: not true • I can only be sure that I think: I am a person who thinks, that is what I am. • My reason is my only guide. M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

17. IS THE BRAIN IN THE WORLD OR THE WORLD IN THE BRAIN? M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

18. René François Ghislain Magritte (1898–1967) Belgian surrealist artist; M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

19. Reality structure: dualism • Though substance: spiritual substance • Ontological argument, there is a eternal substance: God • God is the guaranty of material existence of the universe: mechanical laws. Mechanic material substance “Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power”.Discourse on Method R. Osborne and R. Edner, Philosophy for beginners. M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

20. Anthropology: dualism • Soul: rexcogitans • Body: rexextensa(mechanical mater) • Pineal Gland: connection between both. • Western Dualism is mainly based on this conception of the universe and human beings. http://misteriosenlaweb.blogspot.com M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

21. B. Spinoza(1.632-1.677) • Jew /Spanish / Holand • Substance, attributes and modes: Pantheist, pan-atheist, or atheist? • Ethical philosophy: Spinoza's Ethics (mathematical ethics) • Spinoza's political theory • Spinoza's religious criticism http://myjuryduty.net M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

22. G. Leibniz (1.646-1.716) • Monads: substance. • Pre existence harmony: God’s creation following rational principles. • Theodicy and optimism • Symbolic thought: universal language, formal logic and Math • Invented (with Newton) of infinitesimal calculus (differential and integral calculus) http://filosofia.laguia2000.com M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia

23. NicolasMalebranche(1638–1715) Blaise Pascal (1623 –1662) French mathematician,  Catholicphilosopher • French catholic rationalist philosopher. • Dualism: “I am unable, when I turn to myself, to recognize any of my faculties or my capacities. The inner sensation which I have of myself informs me that I am, that I think, that I will, that I have sensory awareness, that I suffer, and so on; but it provides me with no knowledge whatever of what I am - of the nature of my thought, my sensations, my passions, or my pain - or the mutual relations that obtain between all these things [...] I have no idea whatever of my soul”. Dialogues on Metaphysics M. Torres History of Western Philosophy. IES Campo San Alberto, Noia