Wednesday, October 2, 2019
The Chicken --- Or the Egg?
Philosophers have long wondered about how to justify beliefs and hence establish knowledge. Do you start with a method or principle that you use to determine which beliefs are justified OR do you start with examples of justified belief to determine which method or principle confers justification? Descartes chooses the latter option. From his two example of knowledge (i.e. I know I exist and I know I am a thing that thinks) he establishes his rule about clear and distinct perceptions. Is this the right strategy or should he start with a rule or procedure? Is that the right strategy but a problematic implementation? Does he have enough examples of justified belief to establish the rule? Or is either strategy a dead end?
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Descartes argues that justified belief determines which method or principle confers justification. Descartes speaks of absolute knowledge and believes any other thought can be doubted and therefore, not absolute. Descartes explains the knowledge base consists of three absolutes: thyself, mathematics and a higher being. These absolutes are unquestionable and become the base for any other information. For clarity, the absolutes are like primary colors. The primary colors are the foundation for any other color and the foundation is the most important part. The primary colors symbolize what we know to be true, while other colors are thought to be true, but can be doubted. The same idea is implied to Descartes’ absolute knowledge. It is necessary to have the bases of belief to then justify other thoughts. For further understanding, the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg can be analyzed. The chicken represents the foundation, which eventually lays the egg (any other belief). The chicken is needed to create the egg, as Descartes’ argument prevails, and the foundation is needed to create any other thought. Descartes’ argument is correct, especially with fundamental knowledge. Other knowledge branches from the fundamentals. The fundamentals include a higher being which fuels the idea of religion, moral code and the explanation of our world. Thyself is proven within because I think, therefore I exist. Lastly, mathematics is proven absolute because of the irrefutable answer. All other knowledge is not absolute because it is not the three fundamental knowledge, and everything else is an idea that cannot be proven.
ReplyDeletePhilosophers need a foundation of methods and principles in order to identify information, justify their ideas, and establish a basis for knowledge. Throughout Descartes’ book, Meditations of First Philosophy, he insists that all the information he has learned during his life is based off assumptions and inaccurate information. Descartes decides that he needs to create a completely new and accurate foundation of knowledge. Descartes created a distinct method to justify his beliefs. Eventually, he concludes that he exists, mathematics exist, and a higher being exists. Descartes insists that his three absolutes are unquestionably true. The absolutes he identifies are his basis for all other information in the world. Descartes’ absolutes are similar to primary colors. Primary colors are the foundation of all colors in existence. In this analogy, primary colors symbolize Descartes’ absolutes. Descartes claims that his three absolutes can lead to other information in the world, like how primary colors can lead to other colors in the world. Without a foundation of absolutes, nothing is foundationally true and everything should be doubted. Descartes’ does use the correct strategy to create his foundation of knowledge. Descartes believes that knowledge can be discovered from his fundamental absolutes. The absolute specifically regarding a higher being’s existence allows for moral codes, religions, and an explanation of the world to be established. Regarding mathematics, there is always a specific process to find an indisputable answer. Descartes’ final absolute proves that he exists. He repeatedly uses the phrase, “I think, therefore I exist”. Since Descartes creates strong absolutes, he is able to identify information, justify his beliefs, and continue to advance his knowledge.
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