DQ19

Class Responses and Instructor Comments

>From dorota:
He has two ideas about the sun
-from the senses (he sees sun as a small planet)
-from astronomical reasoning (sun is larger
than the earth)
The idea about small sun comes from the senses itself, but if things which exist outside send images of themselves therefore sun should be small according to assertion in qu.17. Only from pure reasoning Descartes knows that sun is huge.

>rm says: How big does a small planet look to our senses? Be careful. Also, the second question remains unanswered!

>From anna grier:

Descartes naturally observes the sun as being small from sense experience looking through his eyes,but reason dictates,that the sun is much larger than it seems and this is proven simply by looking through an astronomers telescope.The idea from the senses is the wrong judgement whereupon judgement from intelectual knowledge is correct.

>rm says: This is basically correct, but what does the example of the telescope show? Looking through a telescope, the sun appears larger. Does this mean that the senses are giving us true information, if we use telescopes?

>From NAKISHA:

THE SUN REFUTES QUESTION 17s ASSERSTION OF THE RESEMBLENCE HYPOTHESIS BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE SUN, THE SENSES TELL US THAT IT IS SMALLER THAN IT REALLY IS AND THAT IT'S NOT AS HOT AS IT REALLY IS. YES IT DOES REFUTE THIS HYPOTHESIS BECAUSE THE IDEA THAT CAME FROM THE SUN DOES NOT RESEMBLE THE ACTUAL PROPERTIES OF THE SUN.

>rm says: This is Descartes' line of argument, yes. (I like that you added the part about the heat of the sun.) In the second part of the question, I was asking about whether you thought this was a good argument. You seem to. But I wonder if it really is a good argument.

>From anna grier:

No, the senses may not be giving us true info., because we have to keep in mind that the lens of the telescope are magnifying glasses. Therefore this refutes question 17 in regards to the R.H.

>rm says: But don't the senses also tell us that the lenses magnify?

Descartes Reading Guide 19. Why does the example of the sun seem to refute the assertion in question 17? Does it?		Back to Descartes Reading Guide Back to Philosophy 101 Home Next Question
Enter your response to the above question, or to a previous response, in the form below, or use this email link. I will post your response on the right, and comment if I think I can be helpful. When emailing, instead of using the form, please indicate the question number. When using the form below, if you neglect to enter your name or email, I won't know who you are.	Class Responses and Instructor Comments >From dorota: He has two ideas about the sun -from the senses (he sees sun as a small planet) -from astronomical reasoning (sun is larger than the earth) The idea about small sun comes from the senses itself, but if things which exist outside send images of themselves therefore sun should be small according to assertion in qu.17. Only from pure reasoning Descartes knows that sun is huge. >rm says: How big does a small planet look to our senses? Be careful. Also, the second question remains unanswered! >From anna grier: Descartes naturally observes the sun as being small from sense experience looking through his eyes,but reason dictates,that the sun is much larger than it seems and this is proven simply by looking through an astronomers telescope.The idea from the senses is the wrong judgement whereupon judgement from intelectual knowledge is correct. >rm says: This is basically correct, but what does the example of the telescope show? Looking through a telescope, the sun appears larger. Does this mean that the senses are giving us true information, if we use telescopes? >From NAKISHA: THE SUN REFUTES QUESTION 17s ASSERSTION OF THE RESEMBLENCE HYPOTHESIS BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE SUN, THE SENSES TELL US THAT IT IS SMALLER THAN IT REALLY IS AND THAT IT'S NOT AS HOT AS IT REALLY IS. YES IT DOES REFUTE THIS HYPOTHESIS BECAUSE THE IDEA THAT CAME FROM THE SUN DOES NOT RESEMBLE THE ACTUAL PROPERTIES OF THE SUN. >rm says: This is Descartes' line of argument, yes. (I like that you added the part about the heat of the sun.) In the second part of the question, I was asking about whether you thought this was a good argument. You seem to. But I wonder if it really is a good argument. >From anna grier: No, the senses may not be giving us true info., because we have to keep in mind that the lens of the telescope are magnifying glasses. Therefore this refutes question 17 in regards to the R.H. >rm says: But don't the senses also tell us that the lenses magnify?
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