Class Responses and Instructor Comments

 

>From Dorota:

Descartes mesure of certainty is "I'm thing that thinks", which means that he knows at that point for sure that he thinks and therefore he exists.

 

>rm says: He finds his criterion of certainty by looking at the cogito, as you mention, but the cogito itself is not a criterion.

>From W Y Ng:

The general rule that Descartes accept as a criterion of certainty we have "to know that we know", which goes with the cogito too. Does that fall upon the criterion of knowledge?

>rm says: This is why we need a criterion, but it is not the criterion. The cogito fulfills the criterion, passes the test. But, what is the test? (We spent a bit of time on this in class.)

>From dorota :

His criterion of certainty has roots in cogito, therefore anything that has the same strong feeling as cogito is true, is certain.Than clarity and distinctness is his criterion for certainty (a clear and distinct belief can not be false).

>rm says: yes

>From anna grier:

His general rule as a criterion for certainty is that everything he clearly and distinctively percieve is true and he is certain that he is a thinking thing.

 

>rm says: The second is an example of a belief which passes the clear and distinct test, in fact it is the first belief which does and thus the basis for the formulation of that criterion, but is not a criterion itself.