Just and Sinner Podcast How Modern Philosophy Shaped the World (What's Wrong with Modern Thought 2)
Aug 16, 2024
René Descartes, a key figure in modern philosophy, dives into his groundbreaking contributions that set the stage for rational thought. He discusses his systematic approach to knowledge and the methods that challenge skepticism. Descartes explores the quest for indisputable truth, highlighting the importance of questioning established beliefs. The conversation leads into the nature of reality and perception, examining the mind-body problem and the reliability of senses. He also touches on the philosophical impact of thinkers like Hume and Kant, emphasizing their revolutionary ideas.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Cogito As The Foundational Starting Point
- René Descartes sought an indisputable foundation for knowledge by doubting everything until something remained certain.
- His cogito (“I think, therefore I am”) makes the thinking self the primary starting point for knowledge.
Apply Descartes’ Rules For Inquiry
- Follow Descartes’ method: doubt non-self-evident claims and divide complex problems into simple parts.
- Move from simple truths to complex conclusions and recheck your reasoning regularly.
God Fixes Sensory Reliability
- Descartes uses radical doubt to challenge sensory knowledge and then secures sensory trust via God's non-deceptive nature.
- His proof of God and reliance on it makes external reality's reliability hinge on that theological argument.