Ronald Rubin
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804758161
- eISBN:
- 9780804779661
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804758161.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
This book attempts to explain The Meditations (1641), a classic of Western philosophy in which Descartes tries to reach a predetermined end (“perfect certainty”) by means of a definite method (“the ...
More
This book attempts to explain The Meditations (1641), a classic of Western philosophy in which Descartes tries to reach a predetermined end (“perfect certainty”) by means of a definite method (“the method of doubt”). The author argues that many problems of interpretation—including notorious problems of circularity—arise from a failure to recognize that Descartes' strategy for attaining certainty is not to add support for his beliefs, but to subtract grounds for doubt. To explain this strategy, he views Descartes as playing the role of a fictional character—The Demon's Advocate—whose beliefs are, in some respects, mirror images of Descartes' own. The purpose of The Meditations, the author contends, is to silence The Demon's Advocate.Less
This book attempts to explain The Meditations (1641), a classic of Western philosophy in which Descartes tries to reach a predetermined end (“perfect certainty”) by means of a definite method (“the method of doubt”). The author argues that many problems of interpretation—including notorious problems of circularity—arise from a failure to recognize that Descartes' strategy for attaining certainty is not to add support for his beliefs, but to subtract grounds for doubt. To explain this strategy, he views Descartes as playing the role of a fictional character—The Demon's Advocate—whose beliefs are, in some respects, mirror images of Descartes' own. The purpose of The Meditations, the author contends, is to silence The Demon's Advocate.
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780804758161
- eISBN:
- 9780804779661
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804758161.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
This chapter, which focuses on Rene Descartes' method of analysis for belief and certainty in his Meditations, suggests that his primary rule of method is to accept a proposition into his system of ...
More
This chapter, which focuses on Rene Descartes' method of analysis for belief and certainty in his Meditations, suggests that his primary rule of method is to accept a proposition into his system of belief if and only if he can convince the Demon's Advocate of its truth. It considers Descartes' analogy about dumping the apples out of a barrel and discusses Harry Frankfurt's interpretation that, to empty the barrel, one need not cease to hold one's beliefs.Less
This chapter, which focuses on Rene Descartes' method of analysis for belief and certainty in his Meditations, suggests that his primary rule of method is to accept a proposition into his system of belief if and only if he can convince the Demon's Advocate of its truth. It considers Descartes' analogy about dumping the apples out of a barrel and discusses Harry Frankfurt's interpretation that, to empty the barrel, one need not cease to hold one's beliefs.
