...Karthik Keni Phil 21 Greg Antill Part A: 1. The Evil Demon Argument In Descartes’ First Meditation, he completely shatters the foundations of his previous beliefs and then uses the evil demon argument as a platform in which he can explain the source of his beliefs. Descartes proposes the evil demon argument because he wants to instill doubt not only in himself, but also in his audience that God may not be the only “Supreme Being”. He believes God to be a good being that wouldn’t deceive us and lead our thoughts astray. The evil demon argument has the purpose of casting doubt on his belief that God is the only being who has the capability of implementing thoughts into his mind, creating doubt of the existence of an external world, and aiding his pursuit of a strong and certain foundation for all his knowledge and beliefs. In this argument, Descartes doesn’t refute the reality of a God, however I believe he presents the argument as if they both exist and that if he is being deceived it could not be from God, the good being, but the evil genius providing him with false sensory material. The primary claim of this skeptical argument is to doubt the reality of an external world that has the possibility of being created by an evil demon. Deceit could be defined in such a way that our minds are being controlled by an evil demon and that our senses of an external world are mistaken. Depicting the evil demon argument of Descartes in a science fiction way like “The Matrix,” made me...
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...Lena Davis Psych 2012 Class Topics Reaction Papers Table of Contents 1. From page 155 on topic of “Sleep” 2. From page 162 topic of “ Dream” 3. From page 165 on topic of “Hypnosis” 4. From page 167 on topic of “Meditation” 5. From page 168 on topic of “Drug Use” 6. From page 227 on topic of “Constructing Memories” 7. From page 252 on topic of “Reconstructing Memories” 8. From page 257 on topic of “Forgetting” 9. From page 432 on topic of “Stress” 10. From page 438 on topic of “Positive Psychology” Sleep When we get tired our bodies are almost in a drunken state. Our eyes began to open and shut, our head bobs up and down and we feel as though we can’t go anymore. This is definitely a sign that it’s time to get some rest. Sleep is a way our bodies rejuvenate itself after a long day or night. After reading this section on “Sleep”, I now have a better understanding of what my body goes through. I could never understand why some times when I would take long naps, I would feel more tired than before I went to sleep or why some nights I would wake up in the middle of the night and be super energized. Our bodies go through a cycle of four continuous stages and depending on what stage we are in, when we wake up, may determine how our body feels. I also found out that taking a 20 -30 minute nap or “cat nap” as some may call it, is better than taking a nap for a hour or longer. Waking up in Stage 3 or 4 is your deepest sleep, where your body...
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...Chapter Overview 5.1 Overview: Consciousness, Brain Activity, Levels of Awareness CONCEPT LEARNING CHECK 5.2 Stages of Sleep CONCEPT LEARNING CHECK 5.1 Consciousness and Psychology 5.3 Dreams Theories of Dreams Dreams as a Reflection of Unconscious Wishes 5.2 Sleep Biological Rhythms and Stages of Sleep Sleep Theories Effects of Sleep Deprivation Sleep Disorders Insomnia Sleep Apnea Narcolepsy Parasomnias CRITICAL THINKING APPLICATION Dreams as Interpreted Brain Activity Dream Contents CONCEPT LEARNING CHECK 5.3 Theories of Dreams 5 Learning Objectives States of Consciousness 5.1 5.2 Define consciousness. Describe how consciousness relates to psychology. Describe the changes in brain wave activity that occur during the different stages of sleep. Understand why sleep deprivation is harmful. Understand why deep sleep is important. Understand why REM sleep is important. Describe some common sleep disorders. 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Describe the two main theories of dreams. Explain the two theories of hypnosis. Discuss the effects and benefits of meditation. List and describe the four categories of psychoactive drugs. Describe the effects of psychoactive drugs on the nervous system. 5.4 Hypnosis Critical Thinking About Hypnosis Theories of Hypnosis Altered State of Consciousness Role Playing Divided Consciousness 5.6 Drug Use Mechanism of Action of Psychoactive Drugs Depressants Alcohol Narcotics/Opiates Summary of...
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...about dreaming, and how our senses that we use to perceive what is considered reality should not be trusted fully. In the Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes attempts to convey the fascinating illusion of always being in a dream without a certain ability to distinguish what is actually reality or what is a dream, or at bare minimum prove that there are no certain marks to prove otherwise. He states, “…as I think about this more carefully, I see plainly that there are never any sure signs by means of which being awake can be distinguished from being asleep. The result is that I begin to feel dazed, and this very feeling only reinforces the notion that I may be asleep” (First Meditation). In my attempts to contrast what Descartes argument was comprised of and what certain illusions made him feel this way about our perception of physical existence. I turned my attention to his famous dream argument originally brought forth in his Mediation on First Philosophy, and will be using different ideologies between a John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, two famous English philosophers who have attempted to refute Rene Descartes’s dream argument by providing useful and insightful situations to further explain against the idea, as well as provide my own insight in concluding that we are not dreaming right now. It should be noted that within the context of Meditations, which is atypical from traditional philosophical text, the narrator is considered ‘I’ and is intended to be a fictional character...
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...systematic doubt or methodic doubt in Meditation I making certain to distinguish between real doubts and hypothetical or metaphysical doubts. Then explain how Descartes dispels each of these doubts during the course of the subsequent Meditations beginning with the cogito in Meditation 2. A methodic or systematic doubt refers to the common sense or naïve realism. So common sense or naïve realism is the belief that all knowledge comes from or through the senses. Naïve realism are things that are exactly as they appear to be and they appear to be exactly the way they are; a teacup for example. It’s possible to doubt naïve realism in that senses are not always truthful. The difference between real and hypothetical or metaphysical doubt is that Real Doubt are doubts we actually have such as those that really do happen; for example, things that happen sometimes, occasionally, or once in a while. Metaphysical Doubt on the other hand are doubts that could happen. It’s like a logical extension of real doubt, logical possibilities for example “let us assume, what if, I will therefore suppose that.” Sometimes is also considered a real doubt for example “Sometimes my senses do deceive me.” It’s important to note that external conditions are not ideal. Descartes discusses the lunatic hypothesis and the dream hypothesis. He says that in a lunatic hypothesis internal conditions are not ideal since a lunatic cannot trust the veracity of his senses. A dream hypothesis, considered to be a real...
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...Descartes's Method of Universal Doubt in the First Meditation Descartes is widely regarded as the father of modern philosophy. In the First Meditation, he begins with his method of doubt, calling into doubt everything which can be called into question. In the beginning of the First Meditation, Descartes tries to call all his empirical beliefs into doubt with a single stroke: “I have occasionally caught the senses deceiving me,” he writes, “and it’s prudent never completely to trust who have cheated us even once”. The reason why Descartes began by bringing into doubt all the beliefs that come to us from the senses is to show that science rested on firm foundations and that these foundations lay in the mind and not the senses. He is not aimed to prove that nothing exists or that it is impossible for us to know if anything exists, but to show that all our knowledge of these things through the senses is open to doubt. We could not even be sure that anything outside of us existed, if our scientific knowledge came to us through the senses. Since sense experience is sometimes deceiving, it is obvious to Descartes that a posteriori claim cannot be the basis for claims of knowledge. We do not know that what we experience through our senses is true; at least, we are not certain of it. And we cannot tell when our senses are correctly reporting the way things really are and when they are not. So the best thing to do is to doubt whether any knowledge can be based on our sense experiences...
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...Similarities and Differences of The Matrix, Plato and Descartes Frederick Kinley PHIL201-C10LUO March 17, 2014 The Matrix was a film created by the Wachowski Brothers that dealt heavily with the thought of epistemology. Epistemology is a philosophy of origin, nature and limits of human knowledge. In the Matrix the limits of human knowledge was pushed with the question of reality. Is reality real? Is what we see and do true? The question was portrayed in the film by Neo a computer hacker that had a life time nagging question inside that he just could not shake. Neo met Morpheus, a leader of an organization that could help Neo answer his question. Morpheus proposed Neo a plan to follow him take the “red pill” and find the truth or take a “blue pill” and forever stay the same. Neo agrees to take the “red pill” then is launched into a world like he had never seen before. The “Matrix” was a world where humans were only living virtual reality lives. Giant computers were placing thoughts, feelings and everyday life circumstances into their minds. Through their virtual lives they could work, play and even die. Is our reality real today? Are we just victims of a larger, grander scheme? The Allegory of the Cave is a synopsis of The Republic where people live their whole lives in the opening of a cave. The prisoner’s feet and necks are chained so they cannot leave or even turn their heads. Their whole lives the only truth they know...
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...Reality 1. Compare and contrast The Matrix with the readings from Plato and Descartes. What are some similarities and differences? All three; “The Matrix”, “The Allegory of the Cave” the more eloquent “Meditation 1 of the Things of Which We May Doubt” all seem to center on the same metaphysical question of; what is real? The Matrix is much like a modern version of The Allegory of the Cave in which both the perception based reality is explored with their costs and limitations involved. It seems to me that Rene’ Descartes “Meditations on first philosophy 1641 is simply better articulated, perhaps making the same point of doubt. Whenever reading Descartes's writings “I think therefore I am” (p36 Dew & Foreman) as a rather stable foundation is always on my mind. I am not sure if this is an affinity for the strong foundation or my personal aversion to allegories but I find it quite amazing that Descartes’s century’s old writings are so relevant and understandable. Contextual similar with each other it seems the differences are mainly with presentation only. The most apparent contrast to me is that while addressing the same sort of questions that The Matrix and The allegory of the cave share the connection between the characters Neo and Plato’s prisoner while Descartes story is on a more personal level with his concern with doubt of his senses causing reservations for any and all topics of belief. I think Descartes way of dealing with skepticism is a good perspective to look...
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...Descartes published many works of mathematics and philosophy throughout his life. In one of his most important works, Meditations on First Philosophy, he added a number of arguments for and against skepticism. Skepticism is the doubt about the truth of something and that absolute knowledge is not possible. Like past famous philosophers before him, Plato and Parmenides, Descartes believed that "evidence from the senses was inadequate to prove the kind of justification required for a claim of knowledge." In the first of Rene Descartes Meditations, he provided arguments for the skeptical position. He realized that, based off his senses, he had accepted many false opinions as true and that everything he afterwards built upon his opinions could only be doubtful and uncertain. In his project, a quest for knowledge, he decided to disregard and discard all beliefs that were based on any evidence which could be doubted and proven as less than certain. He wanted to create a new, firm foundation. He decided to go about this project because he, like other famous philosophers, believed that much of what is believed is based on ones senses. Descartes noticed that his senses had often deceived him and it was prudent to trust completely in what has deceived a person even once. Aside from deceiving senses, Descartes was also reminded that everyone has dreamed and in one's dream, he or she is not aware that they are dreaming and could simply be dreaming that he or she is sensing. Even if one uses...
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...Christopher Nolan’s science fiction movie Inception is largely Cartesian in how it explores the metaphysical dilemma of distinguishing dreams from reality. The protagonists are dream thieves who steal or plant ideas to the unaware target by weaving spatial elements into a false reality. The following premises in Inception raise counterarguments to Descartes’ reasoning on reality beyond any doubt. In his book Meditations of First Philosophy, Descartes doubts the assurance of knowing whether one is awake or dreaming. In the First Meditation, he notes that “there are never any sure signs by means of which being awake can be distinguished from being asleep.” Descartes argued that one cannot know whether one is dreaming, thus knowledge is impossible. In fact, because “composite elements” from dreams are indistinguishable from reality, it follows that all one’s experiences could simply be a dream, thus one’s supposed knowledge of the world is false. Descartes metaphysically solved this problem by establishing the one undisputable truth through the cogito— “I think, therefore I am.” Still, in order to have any knowledge beyond one’s own existence, one needs to be able to distinguish dreams from reality which follows from the senses. In the movie, Cobb (Leonardo Di Caprio) enters the subconscious minds of his targets using a two-level dream strategy to extract information. He and the others carry totems whose behaviors are unpredictable and known only by the specific owner. Unlike...
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...Name Tutor Course Date Descartes Premise for Distinguishing Body and Mind In the Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes discusses the nature of the body and mind. By drawing from three lines of thought, Descartes launches a powerful premise that the body is something distinct from the mind. He conceptualizes his argument by using the uncertainty of knowledge argument, appealing to God’s omnipotence, and describing the indivisibility of the body and mind. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyze Descartes’s premise for distinguishing the body and mind. In the first Meditation, Descartes begins by discussing a topic that seems far removed from the subject, yet instrumental to his argument. He questions the certainty of reality or truth of worldly opinions. In meditations 1.5, he notes that his opinions about the world are based on senses and argues that he cannot be certain that his senses deceive him. He argues that he cannot be sure that what he thinks of as his perceptions of the world are not dreams (Cress 36). Because there is no mechanism for distinguishing sleep from wake, Descartes says that he is also uncertain about the existence of the body. In addition, he argues that an evil demon may be deceiving him about the existence of the sky, air, colors, sounds, and bodies yet such things are illusions of dreams (Cress 41). By reflecting on the scenario of the evil demon and dreaming, Descartes doubts whether external things such as the body...
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...Descartes started the meditations on first philosophy by explaining how he believed in many false opinions during his youth, which created doubt on all of his current knowledge. In order to fix that Descartes suggested to start again from the original foundations, meaning wiping out everything he knew and start learning again. This was the philosophical project Descartes initiated, which according to him was an enormous task. “Yet to bring this about I will not need to show that all my opinions are false, which is perhaps something I could never accomplish.” Descartes would only focus on opinions that he wasn’t completely sure about and those that were patently false, only if there some reasons to doubt these opinions would be rejected. Anything he had doubts about he wanted to make sure to learn the right thing, therefore he would go back to the foundations. We dream when we go to sleep. Descartes argued that we have perceptions that are very much similar to what...
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...that I have chosen to discuss throughout my paper are: meditation, motivation, information processing, coping with stress, and parenting styles. The first concept, meditation has worked for me very well since I have learned about it. I have done so much research on different meditation techniques people use to relieve stress and deal with everyday life, and I found one that just works for me, it is called Transcendental Meditation. This type of meditation just requires you to sit in a room quietly and think of all the things that have bothered you throughout the day, and just clear them from your mind. I was surprised the first time I tried it because it worked, and I felt a sense of peace within myself. Meditation has also served as motivation for me to get through the work week, and also through the day. Motivation has always been something I have always had with my family. At times, my family is the biggest push I have to do better in life. They always tell me to do my best, but be better than what they are. I understand that, but sometimes it gets hard. I have this one aunt that no matter what the situation is, she always speaks of it in a positive light, and lets me know that failure is not an option for us. She is going to school to be a chef at the age of 45, and that is enough motivation for me. I feel it is enough motivation because it inspires me to go for my dream, and no matter how old you get, your dreams are still attainable as long as the information you are...
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...In the beginning of the Meditations on First Philosophy, by René Descartes, he talks about dreams and how if we can't distinguish reality from illusion then how can we fully trust our senses. Our basic perception of the world and knowledge could be false because if we can’t differentiate our dreams from reality then how do we know that our perception of the world is true. How could we established beyond doubt the possibility of certain knowledge? If we can’t tell if we are awake or dreaming when we are asleep then our perception of the world is misleading. I agree with Descartes because many times I have woken up from a dream thinking that my dream was real. Our dreams can deceive us because the way we are able to sense in our dream and the...
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...setting of your choosing. It is actively used in many religious cultures, such as buddhism, hinduism, christianity, and islam. Meditation does not require a following in a creed of philosophy. In the west, meditation in a secluded spot is a extremely trendy technique to manage stress. People can think of meditation as a mind or spiritual place of peace and increased awareness brought by the thoughts of an object, idea, image, repeated phrase or mantra. There are many good things about meditation, it can even possibly give a person a good vibe or a cold shoulder to sorrow. It gives a persons body a calmness benefits both your feelings and your overall wellbeing. These effects don’t quit when you quit doing meditation, it helps you throughout the day(Mayo Clinic). If a person uses meditation,it can get rid of the data overkill that could get larger and make your stress worse. The helpful benefits include getting attributes to maintain stress, giving oneself more self help, and getting rid of bad reactions. Meditation can also be helpful if you have an illness or disease, especially if caused by bad situations. A larger group of discoveries helps medical additions of meditation. Some things meditation could potentially help include asthma, anxiety disorders, cancers, depression, pain, sleep problems, and heart disease. There are several different types of meditation including guided...
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