4.4: Review and Discussion Questions
- Page ID
- 17585
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- Explain Descartes’ method of doubt. What is Descartes’ purpose in exercising this method?
- Why can’t Descartes be certain about beliefs he acquires through the evidence of the senses?
- Why can’t Descartes be certain about mathematical beliefs like the belief that 2+2=4?
- What belief(s) does Descartes ultimately identify as indubitable?
- Why can’t an evil deceiver deceive Descartes about his belief that he thinks?
- How does Descartes build up from the foundation of indubitable beliefs?
- How does Descartes argue for the existence of a good God?
- How does Descartes’ argument for God fail?
- Given the existence of a good God, how does Descartes justify his beliefs based on reason and on the senses?
- How does Descartes argue for the distinction between mind and body? How does this argument fail?
- Explain Spinoza’s Monism.
- How does Spinoza’s view of God differ from more traditional theological perspectives?
- How does Spinoza handle the mind/body problem?
- How does Spinoza handle the matter of free will?
- What sort of freedom can humans aspire to on Spinoza’s view?
- What are monads and how does Leibniz hope monad will help him avoid Spinoza’s theologically controversial views?