Knowledge: René Descartes and Knowledge Essay

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Chapter 10: Philosophy

Brandon Persaud
Mr. Gray
HZT-4U1
February 20th 2015

Chapter 10

#1-3, pg. 207
#1, pg. 209
#1-2, pg. 213
#1, pg. 216

207 #1-3 – Reflection On Language

1. How does this excerpt demonstrate that Noam Chomsky is a rationalist?

This excerpt demonstrate that Noam Chomsky is a rationalist due to the fact that Chomsky believes in something by the phrase “A mirror in mind” which expresses that the human language can effect the natural characteristics in our own minds. A person who is a rationalist believes that exercising the human ability to reason. Noam strongly believes that language is created and progressed inside the human mind that is an outcome of obtaining human intelligent in society.

2. Select one idea or statement that supports Plato’s theory of knowledge and one that supports Descartes’s theory. Explain how each does so.

Plato Plato quotes “For the conscious mind, not specially designed for the purpose, it remains a distant goal to reconstruct what the child has done intuitively and with minimal force. Thus language is a mirror of mind in a deep and significant sense”. Plato strongly believes that all objects that are inhabited in the material world of senses, which there is an analogous idea what also is inhabited in the minds of humans.

Descartes
Descartes quotes “ The concepts expressed and distinctions developed ion normal language use gives us insight into patterns of thought and the world of common sense”. Descartes expressed that the human mind can come to a conclusion on how it can know things in the world on its own free will which is basically common sense when an individual knows something for certain through practicality and being rational as well as believing this knowledge comes from through their own reason. (Sometimes it can lead to false causalities depending on the knowledge they know or source.)

3. Which theory of knowledge –Plato or Descartes’s – does Chomsky seem to support? Provide evidence of the analysis you conducted to reach this conclusion.

In my perspective I believe that Noam Chomsky seems to support Plato’s thoughts and innate (natural) ideas help explain the mystery of linguistics. Plato says that these forms are natural because they inhabit in every human mind since they’re respective birth. These two ideas are similar through innate ideas. Quotes from the text “thus language is a mirror of mind in a deep and significant sense. It is a product of human intelligent”. As well as another quote states, “It remains a distant goal to reconstruct what the child has done intuitively and with minimal effort.

209 #1

1. Both Plato and Rene Descartes used skepticism to develop their theories of knowledge. For which Philosopher was it more important tool? Explain why you think so.

In my opinion I believe that Descartes skepticism. Reason why I believe this is due to the exploration skepticism is always used to his disposal. Skepticism is defined as the theory that certain knowledge is impossible. He uses skepticism so he can differentiate between believing and knowing. He believes that human experience offers no ground for believing anything, that one owns body is real. He supported this theory by using his evil genius argument what basically is an evil genius that plants thoughts and ideas in people’s minds and maniupulates them.

213 #1-2

1. Are there some things that humans can never know? This is one of the main questions of epistemology. How does Hume’s theory of knowledge answer this question?

David Hume’s theory answers the question “Are there some thing that humans can never know”, Hume goes on stating the definition of causality which means the cause and affect relationship between events. For example if you had a long day and you are really weary, fatigue and tired. In this scenario the cause is your sleepiness and tiredness and the affect is you getting sleep. Hume explains that when Ball A rolls
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