Phil.

230:PhilosophicalClassics

Dr.PaulMiklowitz

DescartesReviewQuestions
Med.I
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

WhydoesDescartesbeginbydoubtingeverythinghethinksheknows?
HowisDescartes'methodofapplyingskepticaldoubtdifferentfromtraditionalskepticism?
WhatdoesDescartesfindhecanhedoubt?Whycanhedoubtit?
WhyisDescartes'doubtofthesenseslessradicalthanPlato's?
ExplainhowDescartesapplieshismethodofsystematicdoubtfirsttoparticularknowledgeclaims,andthento
evermoregeneralclaims.Howdoeshemanagetodoubtthemostgeneralofallsuchclaims?
WhatcanDescartesnotdoubt?Whycan'thedoubtit?

Med.II
7.

Havingprovedthenecessityofhisexistence,whatdoesDescartesgoontoshowthathisessenceisinthe
secondmeditation?
8. HowdoesDescartesprovethenecessaryexistenceofametaphysicalsoul(thatis,thenecessaryexistenceof
"thinkingsubstance")inthesecondmeditation?
9. WhydoesDescartesinsistthatthereasoninginthefirstandsecondmeditationsestablishesmorethanmerely
theclaimthatheishisthoughts?
10. Whatpoint(s)is(are)demonstratedbythepassageabouttheballofwaxinthesecondmeditation?
Med.III
11. GivethreereasonswhyDescartesbelieveshemustprovetheexistenceofGod.
12. HowdoesDescartesfirstarriveatthecriterionof"clarityanddistinctness"?AboutwhatisDescartesclearand
distinctatthispointintheMeditations?
13. Whyis"clarityanddistinctness"soimportanttoDescartes?
14. Whatismeantby"thelightofnature"?
15. Howdoesthediscoveryoftheepistemologicalcriterionofclarityanddistinctnessleadtothenecessityof
provingGod'sexistence?
16. WhywouldGodbeadeceiverifitturnedoutthatanyofDescartes'clearanddistinctideaswerefalse?
17. HowdoesGod'sexistenceensurethatmathematicalclaimsareinfacttrue?
18. Whatisthe"Cartesiancircle"?
19. WhatarethethreedifferentkindsofideasthatDescartesdistinguishesattheoutsetofthethirdmeditation?
20. Whatarethethreedifferentlevelsof"formalreality"Descartesdistinguishes?
21. Whyis"infinitesubstance"(ifitexists)saidtobe"morereal"than"finitesubstance"?
22. Whyis"finitesubstance"saidtobe"morereal"than"attributes"?
23. Inwhatsenseisfinitesubstancerelativelydependent?Inwhatsenseisitrelativelyindependent?
24. WhataretheonlypossibleexamplesoffinitesubstanceandattributesthusfarintheMeditations?
25. HowdoesDescartesknowthatheisonlyafinitesubstance?
26. Whatkindofsubstanceistheuniverse?Why?
27. Whatdoestheterm"objectivereality"mean?(Explainwhatitmeanstosaythatideas"borrow"apartoftheir
realityfromthethingsofwhichtheyareideas.)
28. WhatisthefirststepofDescartes'thirdmeditationproofforGod'sexistence(theprincipleoftheconservation
of"reality"borrowedfromphysics)?
29. HowdoesDescartesapplytheformal/objectiverealitydistinctiontothisprincipletoproveGod'sexistence?
30. InwhatsenseistheideaofGodmorerealthanmyownmind?Inwhatsenseisitlessreal?

31. Explainthe"creationbynegationobjection"(andhowitconstitutesanobjectiontothethirdmeditationproof);
explainDescartes'reply.
32. WhydoesDescartessaythathisideaofGodismoreclearanddistinctthanhisideaofhimself?(Responseto
thecreationbynegationobjection.)
33. WhatwouldtheobjectiverealityoftheideaofGodbeifthe"creationbynegation"objectionwerevalid?
34. Explainthe"thousandsidedfigureobjection"andDescartes'reply.
35. Explainthe"you'renotlivinguptoyourpotentialobjection"andDescartes'reply.
36. Explainthe"Supermanobjection"andDescartes'reply.
37. HowdoesDescartes'responsetothe"thousandsidedfigureobjection"potentiallyleavehimopentothe
"Supermanobjection"?
Med.IV
38. Whatisthe"problemoftheodicy"inthecontextofepistemologywithwhichthefourthmeditationis
concerned?
39. WhydoesDescartessaythatitmustbethecasethatIamsomehowbetterforbeingabletomakemistakesthan
IwouldbeifIcouldnot?
40. WhydoesDescartessaythathiswillisinfiniteindeed,everybitasinfiniteasGod'sownwill?
41. WhyhaveI"nocauseforcomplaintonthegroundsthatthepowerofunderstandingorthenaturallightwhich
Godgavemeisnogreaterthanitis"?
42. Whyarebothwillandunderstandingneededbeforeonecanberightorwrongaboutanything?
43. HowdoesthecombinationofwillandunderstandingleadtothepossibilityoferrorwithoutGod'sbeingat
fault, accordingtoDescartes?
44. Howdoesthisanalysisexplaintheparadoxicalclaimthatweareactuallybetterforbeingabletoerrthanwe
wouldbeifwecouldnot?
45. Isitpossibleformenevertomakemistakes?WhatwouldIhavetodoinordertoachievethis?
46. WhyisGodnotcapableofmistakes?HowdoesthissquarewithDescartes'claimthatIambetterforbeing
capableoferrorthanIwouldbeifIwerenot?
47. Whycan'tthe"infinite"freewillbethecauseofmyideaofGodtherebyunderminingthethirdmeditation
proof?
Med.V
48. ExplainhowDescartesreasonsthatsomeofourideascontainimplicationswhichseemtobenecessarilytrue
becausetheydescribepropertiesofobjectswhich,oncenoticed,"areoneswhichInowclearlyrecognize
whetherIwanttoornot".
49. Explainthe"ontologicalproof"forGod'sexistence.WhatareDescartes'specificcontributionstothisclassic
proof?
50. Whatdoesitmeantosaythat,inthe"Ontologicalproof,"Descartesregardsexistenceasa"predicate"?
51. BrieflyexplainKant'scritiqueoftheontologicalproof.
Med.VI
52. Whatarethereasonscommonsensebelievesintheexistenceofmaterialobjects,accordingtotheopening
discussioninthesixthmeditation?Whyarethesereasonsnotsufficient?
53. ExplaintherelationshipbetweenideasandmindsthatDescartesreaffirms(fromthesecondmeditation)asthe
firstpremiseofhisprooffortheexistenceofextendedsubstanceinmeditationsix.
54. Howdotheideasofmotion,changingpostureorshape,etc.,establishtheexistenceofextendedsubstance,
accordingtomeditationsix?

55. Ismyideaofmotionclearanddistinct?Ifso,why?Ifnot,whynot?
56. Whatmustbeclearanddistinctinordertoestablishtheproofofextendedsubstanceinthesixthmeditation?
57. Whatarethethreecriteriathatthesenseexperienceofanyparticularmaterialsubstancemustsatisfyinorder
for ustobe(relatively)sureofitsexistence?Howdoesone'sownbodysatisfythesecriteria?
58. WhatdoesDescartesconcludetherelationshipbetweenmindandbodyisattheendofthesixthmeditation?
59. Inthesixthmeditation,Descartesconcludesthat"hunger,thirst,painandsoonarenothingbutconfused
modes ofthinkingwhicharisefromtheunionand,asitwere,interminglingofthemindwiththebody."Explain.
60. HowdoesDescartesresolvetheconcernthathemaybedreamingattheendofthesixthmeditation?