help me with a philosophy class

Hey, all

I am in a pretty difficult philosophy course and am having some trouble answering some of these questions that are on my study guide. test is next week, and if you can help me out it would be awesome

1. Describe Descartes method of arriving at clear and distinct ideas of self, God, and external reality

2. Describe in detail Bacons inductive method and his view of forms.

3. Compare descartes and plato regarding source, method, and kinds of knowledge acquired.

4. Describe the three types of ideas according to Descartes and exemplify each.

Cheers!

 

Is this for Philosophy of 16th and 17th Century?
Oi, Bacon the Great Chicken Stuffer, and Descartes Rambles (Also known as Meditations). Bacon was an arrogant prick, Descartes should have stuck to geometry.


Methods? Decartes says, "I think, I am". The SELF is at least when it is thinking. That at least is certain. He wishes, though, to discover proof of a THING which thinks, which stretches out beyond just the mere certainty of the action of thought. As far as I know, Descartes wasn't able to really prove an external reality, only that he existed during the action of thinking. Though he did state, paraphrasing, that the tangible reality can be likened to a painting.

The objects created in the painting are ACTUAL objects in reality, much like the objects in a dream are based on objects in waking life. Thus, one can tell the difference between dreams and waking, tangible states. He says that these objects we experience in waking life have to be based on something. Thus, the certain 'external world'. Sorry to say that these have massive, gaping holes and problems in their 'proofs'.

God? Ah, we haven't gotten to that certainty yet. I doubt he will be able to give such a thing. Though he boldly states that his proof for God is more certain than the greatest mathematical equation.

Descartes lived in a time where the mind was barely even understood. He didn't even know there was a subconsciousness. Oi . . .

I'll see if my Professor goes over the rest of this stuff this week. Might be too late though, sorry.

 

the correct answers to each of those questions would be at least a two-page essay. Are you asking us to do your take-home essay exam for you? LOL


The answers are in your notes. If you didn't take good notes, get together with some other students, and compare notes and study together. Studying with other students is a necessity in philosophy courses!! AND, if you still have questions and are confused, go ask your professor during his office hours. Philosophy profs love it when students come to them for help, it strokes their ego and gives them a chance to go on and on about their favorite subject, which any of their close friends and family no longer wish to discuss with them. Plus, it gives you an idea of the type of answers that particular prof is looking for. There are no wrong answers (edited, well, there are wrong answers to those particular questions, but if you have actually read the material and give what you think they were saying, and make sure to label it as your own opinion...), but some teachers want to hear only that which agrees with their particular point of view. Some hate that sort of boot-licking, want the students to think for themselves and to disagree with them, so go talk to him and see what it is he wants!

 

This won't help much, but I've read that Descartes used often to lie in bed half the day, saying that was where he did his best thinking. It was lying in bed evidently, that he concieved the idea of graphic co-ordinates.

 

sheeproot...just reading your post brings back college nightmares. you'll have to hit the books and figure those out on your own.