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Descartes believed that our senses can sometimes deceive us, leading to doubts about the reliability of sense perception. He argued that our senses can be tricked by illusions or dreams, suggesting they are not always trustworthy. However, Descartes also acknowledged that our senses can provide valuable information about the physical world and are generally reliable in many everyday situations.

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Q: Are the senses trustworthy on account of descartes philosophy?
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Why are the senses not to be trusted according to Descartes?

Descartes believed that the senses are not to be trusted because they can sometimes deceive us. He argued that illusions, dreams, and other sensory experiences can lead us to false perceptions of reality. Since our senses can be unreliable, Descartes advocated for relying on reason and intellect to arrive at truth.


Why Descartes does not trust his senses completely?

Descartes does not trust his senses completely because he believes they can be deceptive or misleading. He argues that our senses can sometimes provide us with false perceptions and illusions, which can lead to doubt about the true nature of reality. As a result, Descartes believes that it is necessary to rely on reason and logic to discern the truth.


How does Locke's regard from the senses differ from descartes?

Locke believed that knowledge is acquired through sensory experience and perception, while Descartes argued that true knowledge comes from innate ideas and reason. Locke's empiricism emphasizes the importance of observation and sensory input in understanding the world, while Descartes prioritized deduction and rationality as the basis of knowledge.


Did Descartes believe that your senses could deceive us?

Yes, Descartes believed that the information provided by our senses could sometimes deceive us. He argued that because the senses are fallible and can be influenced by external factors, we cannot always trust them to provide accurate information about the external world.


How Does Locke's regard for the senses differ from Descartes?

Locke believed that knowledge arises from sensory experiences and that the mind is initially a blank slate upon which experiences are imprinted. Descartes, on the other hand, believed in innate ideas and the importance of reason over sensory experience as a source of knowledge. They differed in their views on the role of the senses in acquiring knowledge.

Related questions

Why are the senses not to be trusted according to Descartes?

Descartes believed that the senses are not to be trusted because they can sometimes deceive us. He argued that illusions, dreams, and other sensory experiences can lead us to false perceptions of reality. Since our senses can be unreliable, Descartes advocated for relying on reason and intellect to arrive at truth.


Why Descartes does not trust his senses completely?

Descartes does not trust his senses completely because he believes they can be deceptive or misleading. He argues that our senses can sometimes provide us with false perceptions and illusions, which can lead to doubt about the true nature of reality. As a result, Descartes believes that it is necessary to rely on reason and logic to discern the truth.


How does Locke's regard from the senses differ from descartes?

Locke believed that knowledge is acquired through sensory experience and perception, while Descartes argued that true knowledge comes from innate ideas and reason. Locke's empiricism emphasizes the importance of observation and sensory input in understanding the world, while Descartes prioritized deduction and rationality as the basis of knowledge.


Did Descartes believe that your senses could deceive us?

Yes, Descartes believed that the information provided by our senses could sometimes deceive us. He argued that because the senses are fallible and can be influenced by external factors, we cannot always trust them to provide accurate information about the external world.


How Does Locke's regard for the senses differ from Descartes?

Locke believed that knowledge arises from sensory experiences and that the mind is initially a blank slate upon which experiences are imprinted. Descartes, on the other hand, believed in innate ideas and the importance of reason over sensory experience as a source of knowledge. They differed in their views on the role of the senses in acquiring knowledge.


Which philosopher is noted for the statement you think therefore you are?

The philosopher known for the statement "I think, therefore I am" is René Descartes. This famous statement is from his work "Discourse on the Method" and is often considered a foundational element of modern Western philosophy.


Descartes and the evil genius?

René Descartes introduced the concept of the evil genius in his philosophical work to highlight radical skepticism. The evil genius is a hypothetical being that deceives our senses and understanding of reality, leading Descartes to doubt all knowledge acquired through the senses. This doubt serves as the foundation for Descartes' "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am") argument as a starting point for building his system of knowledge.


What does Descartes wax example proves?

Descartes' wax example in his Meditations demonstrates the impermanence of the physical properties of an object. By showing how the wax changes its characteristics when subjected to different conditions, Descartes argues that our perception of objects through our senses is not reliable in understanding their true nature. The example serves to illustrate the limitations of sensory perception and the importance of reason in acquiring knowledge.


What did Rene Descartes fear?

Rene Descartes feared being misled by false beliefs or opinions. He was particularly concerned about being deceived by his senses, which led him to develop his method of doubt in his philosophical work.


What reasons does descartes give for doubting everything?

Descartes doubts everything because he believes that our senses can deceive us, leading to false beliefs. He also questions the reliability of our thoughts and reasoning abilities. By doubting everything, Descartes aims to find a foundation of certainty that cannot be doubted.


How does the senses makes descartes to think that he exist?

Descartes' famous statement "I think, therefore I am" implies that the act of thinking proves one's existence. He argued that even if all senses were deceiving him, the very act of doubting and questioning his own existence was evidence that he must exist as a thinking being. Therefore, he concluded that his existence as a thinking thing was undeniable.


What was the philosophy of Ren Descartes?

I'm not sure I can provide a full account of Descartes' philosophy, but perhaps I can get the ball rolling.Rene Descartes was an 18th Century French philosopher, who is best known for his Essay, Meditations on First Philosophy, in which he essentially laid out the problem of the justification of knowledge. Tradtionally, until the comparatively recent (and dubious) work of Edmund Gettier, knowledge has been loosely defined as justified, true belief. This means that in order for something to count as genuine knowledge, it must meet at least 3 conditions: 1) it must be a belief (I cannot know that the earth is round unless I believe it). 2) it must be true (I cannot have knowledge that the Earth is flat, because it is in fact round). 3) the belief must be justified (I need to have a sufficiently good reason for my belief that the Earth is round in order for it to count as knowledge).Modern Cartesian Epistemology has been primarily dedicated to trying to provide justification for belief. Descartes founded a doctrine called Skepticism, the idea that our beliefs have no sufficient justification. None. We have no genuine knowledge that anything exists outside our minds.In his first Meditation, Descartes argues that the only tools we have to provide evidence that there is an external world are our 5 senses. He then states that our senses can and sometimes do deceive us, and it is not prudent to fully trust anything that has deceived us even once. Thus, he concludes that our senses are not to be trusted, and that we can therefore not prove that there is a world outside our minds.Descartes offers several scenarios which are possible and which, in virtue of their own nature, cannot be disproved. For instance, you could be dreaming right now, and it could be the case that you have been dreaming your entire life. Sometimes dreams seem just as real as reality, and there is no way to deductively prove that you aren't dreaming at this very moment. Another possibility is the "evil demon" scenario, in which an evil demon has tricked you into believing everything you believe, including your belief that you exist in a world full of people with whom you can communicate. These skeptical scenarios cannot be disproved by means of using our senses, lest they beg the question. Thus, Descartes sets out to provide an internalist foundationalist account of justification. Namely, he tries to prove the existence of the world, as well as validate his knowledge using only pure reason and knowledge gained through what he cryptically calls "clear and distinct perception."In subsequent Meditations, Descartes argues for his own existence (I think, therefore I am), then on the basis that he exists, he proves the existence of God, and finally, arguing that God exists and isn't a deceiver, and thus would not lie to us about reality, he thinks he proves that our knowledge is justified, and the world around us is a real one.To sum up, Descartes founded Skepticism, and went on to try to disprove it. He seems to have failed in this second objective, and Cartesian epistemology is the branch of philosophy surrounding this alleged problem.As I said above, not nearly a full acount of Descartes' philosophy, but enough to get you started.His famous phrase: "I think therefore I am."