Thalia C. Sanders Title: Descartes skepticism and Theory of Knowledge. Instructor: Mr.

Paul Steven, PhD Monday, October 10th, 2011 2011FA-PHL-1010-DL01 Intro Phil: Art of Questioning ONLN Section No.: 39528

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Rene Descartes (1596-1650), the father of Modern Philosophy and inventor of Geometry, vision began as a revolutionary overthrow of all his self beliefs; a complete break with the medieval world. Lavine writes that Descartes doubting is revolutionary to arrive at a philosophy of (certain) absolute truth. (97) Quoted by Lavine and Kessler, Descartes also broke with the authority of the Cathedral Church that controlled the medieval Scholastic philosophy which he borrowed from Saint Augustine, the Platonizer of Christianity and author of the City of God. On the other hand, Saint Thomas DAquinas was able to build upon the complete works of Aristotles (teleological) in the XIII century, and later produced the Summa Theologize, the founder of the Thomism world view, a Thomistic philosophy. (78-79, 92, 98; 259-267) Descartes vision was a bold plan for a single, unified science in which philosophy and all the sciences would be interconnected in one systematic totality. All qualitative differences would be treated as quantitative differences, and mathematics would be the key to all problems of the universe, in his Discourse on Method, in 1625. (87, 93; and 259-267) Descartes proposes to break with the Catholic Church, but there are Cathedral Churches even Universities that are apparent today, the Catholic Church and the Episcopal Church, which is a Protestant religion; in light of pagan philosophy that have nothing to do with the testimony of the Pentecost. Lavine writes that Descartes modern philosophy begins with the Meditations on First Philosophy (1669 A.D.) with the self in solitude, meditating, becoming conscious of the false and doubtful ideas throughout his life, and then decides to overthrow all of his beliefs. (86, 9293) The free rational independent philosophical speculation of the Greeks was brought to an end by Christianity; it was not restored until the modern era in philosophy emerged in the 17th century, with Descartes as its first great representative, during the Renaissance. (78) The knowledge of the natural world, literature and the arts, science and philosophy were under the

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control of the local church, and was replaced by the super naturalistic knowledge and the source was divine revelation. On the contrast, the Church of God replaced the rational view of Platos theory of knowledge by the revelation of God - the One True God. Like love, everything must be of God, joy and wisdom can not be overthrown it is more valuable than the silver and gold that the producers would be allowed to keep if the good life were in a good state. Platos (Lavine) ethics are his moral philosophy which is established in a form of justice in the human soul. (5665) For example, the Socratic Method (Kessler) called the Divine Command Theory, was crucial on Living the Examined Life. (44-45) Like Plato, Descartes theory of knowledge is call rationalism. Rationalism claims in support of reason that reason is universal in all human beings; that reason is the most important element in human nature; that reason is the only means to certainty in knowledge that the reason is the only way to determine what is morally right and good and what constitutes a good society. Descartes methods of mathematics, a chief secret was his goals as a philosopher then build a system of philosophy based upon intuition and deduction which will remain as certain and as imperishable as geometry. Kessler and Lavine note that he took the philosophic position of doubt; concerning the reliability of knowledge which is called methodological skepticism. He formulates his Latin quote, cogito, ergo sum I think therefore I am. (259-267; 97-99) To conclude, an Evangelist waits for the power of a reasonable God an absolute truth, i.e., the Pentecost. On the contrast, Descartes position of subjectivism is the view that I can know with certainty only myself as subjective consciousness and my thoughts and ideas. He cannot argue that God exists, or deduce from the harmonious order of the world the existence of God because he has not proved that the world exists. Moreover, his gulf could not be bridged, and plagued all philosophers which came after him.

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Works Cited Lavine, T. Z. From Socrates to Sartre: the Philosophic Quest. New York: Bantam, 1985. 1-42. Print. "Dispute Over Jesus Testimony: John 8:12." Biblegateway.com. Bible Gateway, N.D. Web. <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%208&version=NIV>. Kessler, G. Voices of wisdom. 6th edition. Thompson, 2007. 45-57. Print. Metaphysics. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. 2006. Encyclopdia Britannica Online. 24 August 2006 <http://search.eb.com/ebc/article-9371973>. From Platos Republic, translated by G.M.A. Grube, Hackett Publish Co., Inc. 1974, pages 161172. Fisher, M.P. Religion and Philosophy. 5th edition. Strayer University: Custom Edition, Prentice Hall. (2003). 33. Print.

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