The Speak Life Podcast René Descartes' FATAL Error (and How We Can Heal) || SLP597
Jul 14, 2025
Explore how René Descartes' famous quote 'I think, therefore I am' has contributed to modern alienation and existential crises. The discussion highlights the philosophical shift toward self-centeredness and its impact on our understanding of beauty, truth, and community. Delve into the deep loneliness of contemporary life and the vital importance of human connections. Ultimately, find hope in the idea that faith can restore confidence in reality, emphasizing the significance of love and relationships in overcoming modern skepticism.
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Descartes' Shift Causes Alienation
- René Descartes' famous "I think, therefore I am" isolated thinking self from external reality, causing modern alienation and doubt.
- This philosophical shift started with self rather than God, rupturing faith and confidence in the world.
Doubt Leads to Solipsism
- Descartes premises doubting everything including body, senses, religion, reason, even history, leading to solipsism.
- Modernism's mind-body dualism privileges the mind, isolating the individual thinker as the foundation of certainty.
Modernism's Divides and Doubts
- Modernism splits knowledge from belief, science from faith, and facts from values, privileging scientific fact and skepticism.
- This "solid-cism" of only scientifically testable reality excludes anything like God, beauty, goodness, and consciousness as doubtful.
