DQ32

Class Responses and Instructor Comments

>From anna grier:

Descartes faculty of imagination and clear distinctive perception makes him know material objects exist along with the faculty of knowing,and whatever he can percieve to be true, God is capable of bringing it about. False things/objects of the imagination/senses
cannot exist.ie;a dragon with two heads.

> I would have thought that dragons can exist, but don't, sort of like dodo birds and dinosaurs. You're right to focus on God's capability here. I'm not sure how the faculty of 'clear distinctive perception' (Do you mean 'clear and distinct perception'?) is different from the faculty of knowing.

>From W Y Ng:

Descartes know that physical objects can exist, if they are "clear" and "distinct." The second part of the question has to do with the mind/ body question?

>rm says: I'm not sure what it means for an object to be clear and distinct, in this context. I think the emphasis here should be on 'non-contradictory'. The second part asks what is impossible, and is unrelated to the mind/body distinction.

>From natalie v:

God is no deceiver so there is a physical world. Physical objects exist with clear and distinct properties, for example if they are extended, flexible and mutable. For the second part of the question ..if god exists, then the demon deceiver does not exist.

>rm says:

The first part of this answer is not appropriate here, but rather for Q38; this is a slightly different question, which I tried to distinguish in class. Notice that this is about what can and can not exist, and not about what does and does not exist.

Descartes Reading Guide 32. How does Descartes know that physical objects can exist? What can not exist?		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 anna grier: Descartes faculty of imagination and clear distinctive perception makes him know material objects exist along with the faculty of knowing,and whatever he can percieve to be true, God is capable of bringing it about. False things/objects of the imagination/senses cannot exist.ie;a dragon with two heads. > I would have thought that dragons can exist, but don't, sort of like dodo birds and dinosaurs. You're right to focus on God's capability here. I'm not sure how the faculty of 'clear distinctive perception' (Do you mean 'clear and distinct perception'?) is different from the faculty of knowing. >From W Y Ng: Descartes know that physical objects can exist, if they are "clear" and "distinct." The second part of the question has to do with the mind/ body question? >rm says: I'm not sure what it means for an object to be clear and distinct, in this context. I think the emphasis here should be on 'non-contradictory'. The second part asks what is impossible, and is unrelated to the mind/body distinction. >From natalie v: God is no deceiver so there is a physical world. Physical objects exist with clear and distinct properties, for example if they are extended, flexible and mutable. For the second part of the question ..if god exists, then the demon deceiver does not exist. >rm says: The first part of this answer is not appropriate here, but rather for Q38; this is a slightly different question, which I tried to distinguish in class. Notice that this is about what can and can not exist, and not about what does and does not exist.
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