DQ27

Class Responses and Instructor Comments

>From dorota:

Descartes makes mistakes because wrong knowledge he already has and free choice of the will. But mistakes do not depend on GOD, Descartes makes them because he fail to deduce the truth. Since those errors brings him to the point where he start to look for the truth than he has to concentrate on the thing he completly understands.

>rm says: This is a good beginning. What does it mean to "completely understand" something?

>From Wai Yan Ng: What Descartes "completely understand" is his pure thought or knowledge. He can avoid making mistakes by not relying on his past knowledge <what he already knows>

>rm says: Or, rather, 'what he thought he knew, before'. I think one should refer to the criterion, here, and to Descartes' resolution of the puzzle about erring, from MIV.

>From anna grier:

Descartes decided he could avoid making errors by making judgements of truth that are within the bounderies of his understanding with clarity and distinctiveness. Judgements that seperated from the will and the intellect.

>rm says: I like the first sentence, though it could use a bit of elucidation. I'm not sure what the second sentence means.

>From anna grier:

I tried to express the statement as such: Judgements that discriminate between the will and the intellect, what is true and what is false.

Descartes Reading Guide 27. How does Descartes decide that he can avoid making errors? How do you think this might be difficult?		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: Descartes makes mistakes because wrong knowledge he already has and free choice of the will. But mistakes do not depend on GOD, Descartes makes them because he fail to deduce the truth. Since those errors brings him to the point where he start to look for the truth than he has to concentrate on the thing he completly understands. >rm says: This is a good beginning. What does it mean to "completely understand" something? >From Wai Yan Ng: What Descartes "completely understand" is his pure thought or knowledge. He can avoid making mistakes by not relying on his past knowledge <what he already knows> >rm says: Or, rather, 'what he thought he knew, before'. I think one should refer to the criterion, here, and to Descartes' resolution of the puzzle about erring, from MIV. >From anna grier: Descartes decided he could avoid making errors by making judgements of truth that are within the bounderies of his understanding with clarity and distinctiveness. Judgements that seperated from the will and the intellect. >rm says: I like the first sentence, though it could use a bit of elucidation. I'm not sure what the second sentence means. >From anna grier: I tried to express the statement as such: Judgements that discriminate between the will and the intellect, what is true and what is false.
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