Epistemology Part 1

Rationalism - The a priori way

Basics of Rationalism
Main Claims

1. Reason is the ultimate source and basis of genuine

knowledge
2. We cannot know anything on the basis of experience
alone

Variations in Rationalist Theories

3. how reason is conceived

4. what they claim what we know by reason alone
5. the specific role of experience in knowledge
Why Rationalism?
Rationalism is able to provide two important ingredients in our
formulation of knowledge:
● certainty - to be absolutely sure of what you know
● universality - knowing that something is true everywhere

Major Problems:

1. the peculiar character and contributions of experience

cannot be ignored
2. rationalist theories are often at odds with each other
Descartes
Seventeenth Century Scholar
● considered to be the father of
modern philosophy
● Rationalist, mathematician
(cartesian plan named after
him)
● used methodological doubt to
conclude that he exists
● used St. Anselm’s Ontological
argument to “prove” God
exists, and thereby, existence
of external world
Ideas - the whole ball of wax
Read selection on pp. 371-2 regarding wax

1. what are the characteristics of the wax?

2. what does Descartes do to change the wax?
3. what are the new properties?
4. what does this experiment tell us about knowledge?
Wax answers...
1. what are the characteristics of the wax?
a. smells like flowers, makes a noise when you flick it, tastes like
honey, hard and cold, colour and size are apparent
2. what does Descartes do to change the wax?
a. brings is close to fire in order to melt the wax
3. what are the new properties?
a. no sounds when flicked, hot, lost scent, colour has changed,
liquid (change of state), loss of flavour
4. what does this experiment tell us about knowledge?
a. wax, although changed, was still wax
b. idea of wax exists outside of the wax itself
c. our knowledge of wax comes independent or a priori to our
experience of the wax
Descartes as Rationalist
From this story about wax, Descartes clearly recognizes that
sense perception is not an adequate foundation for
knowledge

Therefore, he rejects sense perception - he begins to doubt,

in order that he might find certainty

(see Bacon quotation on p. 371)

Descartes and Methodological Doubt
Methodological doubt = series of statements about what can
or cannot be known with certainty

Descartes employed this technique to reach some

fundamental beliefs:

1. he exists
2. God exists
3. (other) human beings exist
4. the world/universe exists

Let’s take a look...

Premises for Methodological Doubt
1. I can doubt everything that my senses tell me, therefore:
a. I can doubt the existence of external objects
b. I can doubt the existence of my own body
c. I can also doubt mathematical (a priori) beliefs because:
i. sometimes I make errors in my calculations
ii. an evil demon might be misleading me
2. BUT...I cannot doubt my own existence as a thing that thinks because:
a. even if I doubt my own existence, I must exist in order to do so
b. even if I am being deceived by an evil demon, I must exist as a thing that
can be deceived
3. Cogito, Ergo, Sum (I think, therefore, I am! Je pense, donc, je suis!)

I exist...now what?
Argument for the existence of God
“If I find an idea of a perfect being in a sense that this being
has every possible perfection, especially attributes associated
with God (not specifically the Judeo-Christian God, but a
perfect being like God) - omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent -
then this perfect being MUST exist.”

Syllogism:
God is a being who has every perfection.
Existence is a perfection.
Therefore, God exists.

I exist, and now God exists...now what?

Re-introduction of Certainty
If God is a perfect being, then God would certainly not
deceive me by allowing me to doubt that there are other
minds like mine, nor would He deceive me by allowing me to
doubt that the universe exists.
Order of knowing: Order of being:

1. knowledge of my own existence 1. God (creator, sustainer, perfect

leads to being)
2. knowledge of God 2. human beings (creatures)
3. certainty (no doubt) regarding a 3. nature/the universe
priori knowledge
4. knowledge of existence of an
external world
Classwork/Homework

Read remainder of Chapter 5.2, answer questions on p. 378

(#1 - 5)

Address the following questions:

1. Define a priori
2. Much like Descartes’ discussion about wax, Plato’s Meno
introduces innate ideas. What is the argument presented
by Socrates in that dialogue?
3. How is Jainism’s epistemological beliefs of the mind
similar to Leibniz’ theory of the mind? How are they
different?