Descartes and Luther emphasize the isolated individual mind, with Luther focusing on faith and Descartes on logical certainty.
Descartes challenges Hobbes' proposal of AI, highlighting the disconnect between mind and matter.
Deep dives
Descartes and Luther's Grammar Emphasizing Isolated Individual Mind
Descartes and Luther, despite their apparent differences, share a focus on the isolated individual mind. While Luther emphasizes faith and acceptance without questioning, Descartes stresses the pursuit of logical certainty, a path that severed from tradition and institutions. Although these two grammars seem opposed in the cultural context, they both revolve around the isolated self, influencing the ongoing culture wars.
Hobbes' Proposal on Artificial Intelligence and Descartes' Rejection
Hobbes' proposition based on the scientific revolution suggests the possibility of artificial intelligence by regarding cognition as computation applied to matter. Descartes, however, challenges this by pointing out the absence of meaning, purpose, and normativity in matter, highlighting the fundamental disconnect between mind and matter. Descartes' rejection of Hobbes' stance reveals the complex interplay between rationality, consciousness, and the limitations of materialism.
Descartes' Exploration of Mind-Matter Duality and Consciousness
Descartes delves into the intricate interactions between mind and matter, illuminating the challenges posed by their distinct properties and their alleged inability to causally interact. The Cartesian philosophy raises profound questions about consciousness, rationality, and the existential implications of separating mind and body. Descartes' quest for certainty leads to a stark realization of the fundamental mysteries surrounding the relationship between the mind and the material world.
Pascal's Concept of 'Spirit of Finesse' and the Loss of Transformative Knowing
Pascal critiques the scientific revolution's emphasis on geometrical certainty, highlighting the loss of procedural, perspectival, and participatory knowing encapsulated in the 'spirit of finesse.' This loss, as pointed out by Pascal, deprives humanity of transformative truth and self-transcendence, vital elements that he argues have been overlooked in the shift towards scientific knowledge. Pascal's call for a revival of transformative knowing reflects a deeper concern about the limitations of purely scientific and computational approaches in grasping the essence of human experience.
