Descartes Dreaming Argument - 1420 Words

The topic of this essay is Descartes’ First Meditations and I will be discussing in detail the Dreaming argument and the Evil Demon argument. According to Descartes’, â€Å"As I think about this more carefully, I see plainly that there are never any sure signs by means of which being awake can be distinguished from being asleep.† This is the fundamental principle of the Dreaming Argument. The scenarios in which we experience whilst we are asleep are comparable to the scenarios we experience whilst we are awake. Often, we struggle to tell from our own perspective where our experiences are derived from; it is difficult to differentiate whether our experiences stem from reality or our dreams. The issue with this is that our unconscious†¦show more content†¦This can be challenged as to sit in a lecture you must be certain that you’re sitting in a lecture, but you cannot be certain that you are not actually dreaming, therefore you cannot be certain that you’re sitting in a lecture. P2 – there is no way to be certain that the experiences we perceive to be reality are our reality. Desc artes’ argues that there is no way that we can be completely certain that such experiences are not unconscious experiences, â€Å"Any experience that strikes me as waking experiences such that I am perceiving the environment in a normal way are indistinguishable from possible dreaming experiences.† An objection to this argument is that we can distinguish being awake and being asleep. If we can remember our dreams once we are awake, we can recognise them as dreams as they generally don’t make sense which differs from our logical conscious experiences. Dreams are usually only coherent for a short period of time which is a distinct difference from being awake. Once we are conscious, even our most vivid unconscious experiences can be recognised as dreams. Your waking experiences can be intensely recalled whereas you do not always remember your unconscious experiences. I believe that this is a weak argument because sometime struggle to fully distinguish between reality and our dreams as our unconscious experiences are overwhelmingly intense and life-like. A counterargumentShow MoreRelatedDescartes Dreaming Argument And The Demon Argument1112 Words   |  5 PagesIn this essay, I will explore and analyse Descartes’ dreaming argument and his evil demon argument. I will assess both arguments taking into account their validity and soundness whilst also considering the objections that one may have. In order to weigh up these arguments, it is important to understand Descartes’ reasons for formulating them: Descartes’ believes that it is important to be certain of the things that one believes to be true which, in turn, causes him to question the things that heRead MoreAnalysis Of Descartes Dreaming Argument812 Words   |  4 PagesDescartes dreaming argument suggests that perhaps our senses cannot be fully trusted because we cannot be certain we are not dreaming, and this means we therefore cannot be certain of anything. His evil demon argument is similar but uses the idea of an evil demon deceiving you instead of your senses. These sceptical arguments mean that we cannot be certain of anything at all for it may be happening whilst we are dreaming, or we are being tricked into thinking it is happening. I do not agree withRead MoreAn Analysis Of Descartes And The Dreaming Argument1390 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will take a look at Descartes Dreaming argument a nd Evil Demon argument. As well as discussing their weaknesses and strengths to later decide which argument is the best. Despite my belief of subjective truths, the reason for doing this is to establish both arguments on an equal basis and to determine which would be best in an argument. The Dreaming argument first showed up in Descartes First Meditation, where he focusses on the task to educate himself on his own doubt. When meditatingRead MoreThe Strengths And Weaknesses Of Descartes Dreaming Argument And Evil Demon Argument1430 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will attempt to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Descartes’ dreaming argument and evil demon argument. Through discussion, I will show why the evil demon argument is more plausible than the dreaming argument. The essay will give a brief definition of the two arguments and explain why these arguments are important. Then I will discuss the two arguments, considering both sides and referencing previous work by other philosophers. I will conclude with a short summary of the topics coveredRead MoreDescartesArgument For Skepticism1120 Words   |  5 PagesIn Descartes’ first meditation, he proposes an argument for skepticism about the external world based on the possibility of dreaming. I wi ll argue that Descartes’ argument for skepticism is flawed. In this essay I will explain Descartes’ argument, explain why Descartes’ argument is flawed, and consider an objection to my own argument. 1. Descartes’ Argument In order for Descartes to doubt the existence of the external world, he has to establish that he could be dreaming. In Descartes’ first meditationRead MoreCritique of Descartes Dream Argument Essay examples1527 Words   |  7 PagesPhilosophy 101 14 November 2008 Critique of Descartes’ Dream Argument Descartes has written a set of six meditations on the first philosophy. In these meditations he analyzes his beliefs and questions where those beliefs were derived from. The first mediation of Descartes discusses his skeptical hypotheses; questioning the validity of the influences of his knowledge. He has a few main goals that are expressed through the first meditation. First off, Descartes wants to build a firm foundation of knowledgeRead MoreThe Dream Argument by Rene Descartes Essay1008 Words   |  5 Pagesfamous arguments, from his not only from his first meditation but all of the meditations, is his Dream Argument. Descartes believes that there is no way to be able to distinguish being in awake from being in a state of dreaming. In fact you could actually be in a dream right now. Rene Descartes’s theory that one is unable distinguish being awake from dreaming, as interesting as it is, can be at times a little farfetched, along with a few contradictions to himself, Descartes’s dream argument does notRead MoreDream Argument Essay893 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Jacob Sebert November 13, 2013 Descartes Dream Theory Descartes arguments in meditation I can be proven wrong through discrepancies and contradictions. Authors Peter Simpson and Ludwig Wittgensteins have similar points on skepticism where they have found specific inconsistencies. When primarily looking at Descartes’ dream argument we can see a contradiction in his statements. He sets out to demonstrate the similarity between â€Å"waking† and â€Å"dreaming†. His intention was to prove that there is noRead MoreEssay on Descartes Dream Argument - Philosophy1406 Words   |  6 Pagesdo we know we are not dreaming some particular experience we are having, or we are not dreaming all our experience of this world? When we dream we imagine things happening often with the same sense of reality as we do when we are awake. In Descartes dream argument, he states there are no reliable signs distinguishing sleeping from waking. In his dream argument, he is not saying we are merely dreaming all of what we experience, nor, is he saying we can distinguish dreaming from being awake. I thinkRead MoreThe Dreaming Argument And The Evil Demon Argument1271 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes organised his ideas on knowledge and skepticism to establish two main arguments, the dreaming argument and the evil demon argument. The dreaming argument suggests that it is not possible to distinguish between having a waking experience and dreaming an experience. Whereas, the evil demon argument suggests that we are deceived in all areas of our experiences by an evil demon. This essay will investigate the validity of the arguments and to what extent the conclusion of these arguments is